New York Yankees 4-9 Pittsburgh Pirates
The Yankees’ rough stretch continued Saturday as they fell to the Pirates 9-4 on a gloomy afternoon in the Bronx. It wasn’t just the loss that stung; it was also the way they lost, featuring more missed opportunities, another quiet day at the plate, and an injury to Anthony Rizzo that may affect their postseason plans.
Luis Gil struggles in final regular season outing
Luis Gil, in what might have been his last outing before the playoffs, gave up a career-high four home runs, unable to find his rhythm. For a pitcher who has been largely reliable since stepping into the rotation, it was a frustrating day. The Pirates, who aren’t exactly known for their power—entering the game with the fifth-fewest homers in the majors—tagged Gil for four long balls, starting with Yasmani Grandal’s solo shot in the second inning. Nick Gonzales added another in the fourth, Billy Cook crushed a two-run homer in the fifth, and Jared Triolo capped Gil’s tough afternoon with a two-run shot in the sixth.
Gil’s final line read 5⅔ innings, six runs, and those four home runs. It was an unfortunate ending to an otherwise solid regular season, where he logged a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts across 151⅔ innings. He’s expected to be part of the postseason rotation, but this performance certainly wasn’t what the Yankees were hoping to see heading into October.
On the other side, Pirates rookie Paul Skenes showed why there’s so much buzz around him. The 2023 first-overall pick was electric in his two-inning appearance. He faced the Yankees’ heart of the order and struck out Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton’s weak grounder and Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s strikeout ended the second inning, completing Skenes’ dominant cameo. Though he was pulled early as part of Pittsburgh’s pre-planned approach, Skenes ended his rookie year with an outstanding 1.96 ERA.
The Yankees didn’t get their first hit until the bottom of the fifth, when Chisholm broke through with a solo homer off Mike Burrows, who had taken over for Skenes. Burrows, making his Major League debut, was effective, keeping the Yankees in check for most of his four-inning outing.
The sixth inning brought what looked like a prime opportunity for the Yankees to fight their way back into the game. After Burrows walked Jon Berti and Jasson Domínguez to start the inning, Pirates manager Derek Shelton called on reliever David Bednar. The Yankees couldn’t capitalize, though. Soto lined out, and Judge struck out for the third time, continuing his tough day at the plate. Stanton then hit a grounder that could have ended the inning, but a wild throw allowed Berti to score. With the bases loaded, Chisholm struck out, and the Yankees were left with a 6-2 deficit.
The game turned from bad to worse in the seventh when Rizzo was hit by a pitch on his right hand by Pirates reliever Ryan Borucki. Rizzo, who had been finding his rhythm offensively—collecting his 10th hit in his last 26 at-bats earlier in the game—was forced to leave after X-rays revealed two fractured fingers. It’s a significant blow to the Yankees, whose postseason roster decisions will now have to factor in his uncertain availability. Manager Aaron Boone said they’ll see how Rizzo responds over the coming days, noting that rookies Oswaldo Cabrera or Ben Rice could be in consideration for his spot.
In the ninth, the Yankees tried to rally one last time. After singles from Cabrera and Berti and a walk to Soto, Aaron Judge came to the plate with one out and the bases loaded. It was a chance for the Yankees to claw their way back into the game, but Chapman struck out Judge for his career-worst fifth strikeout of the afternoon. Wells then lined out to left to end it.
Yankees roster
Up next
The Yankees (93-68) now await the outcome of the Guardians’ game later Saturday night to determine if they secure the top seed in the American League. They’ll close the regular season on Sunday afternoon with Clarke Schmidt on the mound against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter, hoping for some positive momentum heading into the playoffs.
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