Luis Gil steals thunder in big Yankees bash led by Judge, Stanton

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The New York Yankees’ slugging duo of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton continued their impressive display of power Thursday, hitting home runs once again. However, it was Luis Gil who stole the show, outdueling Seattle’s Luis Castillo in a 5-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.

Gil, a 25-year-old right-hander, was brilliant on the mound, allowing just one hit – an infield single by J.P. Crawford in the fourth inning on a mishandled ball by shortstop Anthony Volpe – over 6 ¹/₃ shutout innings. This outstanding performance followed Gil’s previous outing, in which he set a Yankees rookie record with 14 strikeouts.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Gil’s growth and maturity, not only since his Tommy John surgery 18 months ago but also in recent weeks. Boone noted that Gil’s progress has been evident in every outing.

Gil transforms Yankees’ rotation

Gil’s performance extended a record-setting streak by the Yankees‘ starting rotation, as they have now thrown at least five innings while allowing two or fewer runs in 11 consecutive games – a first in franchise history. During this remarkable run, the starters have compiled a 9-1 record with a 0.92 ERA.

Among the five starters, Gil has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise, securing a spot in the rotation due to ace Gerrit Cole’s elbow injury during spring training. As the Yankees continue to dominate on the mound and at the plate, Gil’s emergence has provided a significant boost to the team’s already formidable pitching staff.

In his first full season following Tommy John surgery in 2022, New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil has been nothing short of impressive, boasting a 2.11 ERA and allowing more than five hits in just one of his 10 outings.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge praised Gil’s consistency and ability to step up in the absence of the team’s ace, Gerrit Cole, who won the Cy Young Award last season. Judge acknowledged that losing a pitcher of Cole’s caliber would impact any staff and team, but he commended Gil for consistently demonstrating his skills on the mound.

“Any time you lose the ace of your team, a guy who just won a Cy Young, it’s gonna impact the staff and the team, and it has,’’ Judge said. “But Gil consistently goes out there and shows what he can do.” 

Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that the team has not yet developed a plan for their starting rotation when Cole returns, which could be as early as late next month. Boone said having all five starters healthy would be a good problem to have. He also mentioned that there is no predetermined innings limit for Gil, who has never pitched more than 108 innings in a single season.

Yankees offense gives Gil enough support to attack

As Gil continued to dominate, going 5-0 with a 0.59 ERA in his last five starts, the Yankees’ offense received another boost from Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who both hit early home runs. Stanton gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a massive 445-foot homer to dead center, his 12th of the season and fourth in his last nine games.

Aaron Judge joined his teammate Giancarlo Stanton in the home run column, launching his 15th of the year and sixth in 11 games to right-center field in the third inning. Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Judge, stating that he is “as good as it gets.”

Luis Gil, who had been cruising through the game, faced his first challenge in the sixth inning. After issuing a leadoff walk to Ty France and recording back-to-back strikeouts, Gil walked Dylan Moore. Following a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, Gil retired Luke Raley to end the 31-pitch inning.

Gil was removed from the game one out into the seventh inning, having allowed just one hit over his 96-pitch outing. The Yankees extended their lead in the seventh, with Anthony Volpe leading off with a double to left and stealing third before Juan Soto singled through a drawn-in infield. Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo followed with a pair of sacrifice flies, making it a 5-0 game.

In the eighth inning, Victor Gonzalez and Nick Burdi loaded the bases before Clay Holmes entered the game and escaped the jam. Holmes, who gave up his first earned runs of the season on Monday, finished the game in his first outing since then.

The victory marked the Yankees’ ninth win in their last 11 games, as they reached a season-high 18 games over .500 before embarking on a nine-game West Coast trip that begins Friday in San Diego.

Gil gets credit for Yankees’ win

The Seattle Mariners struggled against New York Yankees rising star pitcher Luis Gil, who continued his recent dominance in a 5-0 victory at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon. Gil limited the Mariners to just one hit, which was questionable while striking out eight batters over 6 ¹/₃ dominant innings.

Mariners manager Scott Servais acknowledged Gil’s impressive performance, noting that the team knew it would be a tough battle going into the game. Servais praised Gil for his efficiency early in the game, which set the tone for the Mariners’ offensive struggles.

“Obviously their starter’s on a really good run. Gil threw the ball really well and we didn’t get anything going offensively against him,” he said. “I’ve talked about when on the road you really gotta hit and we didn’t get anything going.”

Mariners manager Scott Servais pointed out that Gil utilized three highly effective pitches to keep the team off-balance, with his lively fastball leading the charge. Although Gil issued two walks in the sixth inning, he struck out the Mariners’ No. 3 hitter, Luke Raley, to escape the jam.

Gil’s dominant outing played a significant role in the Yankees’ victory, as the Mariners were unable to generate any offensive momentum against the young pitcher. The loss served as a reminder of the challenges faced when going up against a pitcher in the midst of a hot streak.

The 25-year-old right-hander for the New York Yankees allowed only one hit in his dominant performance against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. The lone hit, credited to leadoff batter J.P. Crawford in the fourth inning, was a grounder that Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe couldn’t handle.

Crawford praised Gil’s electric fastball, noting that despite the Mariners being on time, they struggled to make solid contact due to the pitch’s life. He acknowledged Gil’s dominant outing and tipped his hat to the young pitcher.

“He came out attacking,” Crawford said. “His fastball is really electric and I think we were on time, but it has a lot of life and we were just missing it. He came out and dominated us, so I tip my hat to him.”

Ty France, the Mariners’ 2022 All-Star first baseman, commended Gil’s current form, stating that he is mixing his pitches well and effectively moving the ball around the strike zone. France noted that Gil’s success is evident, as he has posted a 5-0 record with a 0.59 ERA over his past five starts since May 1.

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