With the searching for a series win over a division rival on Thursday, Luis Gil delivered the worst and shortest start of his career. The 26-year-old, an early-season Cy Young contender and deserving All-Star, saw his ERA jump from 2.03 to 2.
77 after allowing seven earned runs in a 17-5 loss to the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Gil lasted just 1.1 innings and 47 pitches as Baltimore’s battering lineup recorded eight hits and two walks against him.
Prior to Gil’s disastrous day, Yankees starters had gone at least four innings in the team’s first 76 games. It was the longest season-opening streak in franchise history and the seventh-longest season-opening streak by any team since 1900. Baltimore started bashing Gil in the first inning when Gunnar Henderson smoked a leadoff double, which Juan Soto misjudged.
Henderson ripped the ball 110.4 mph over Soto’s head, but it had a catch probability of 80%. Ryan O’Hearn drove Henderson home with a single.
Gil escaped the first inning after that, but the floodgates opened in the second. Cedric Mullins put two runs on the board with a home run before Ryan Mountcastle doubled with three men on. He cleared the bases.
With the bases juiced again later in the inning, Gil forced another run in when he plunked Jordan Westburg. That ended the right-hander’s day after just four outs. Gil had allowed just 18 earned runs all season before Thursday, and he had limited opponents to seven earned runs over his last nine starts.
The Orioles did.
