OWNING THE ORIOLES!
German gets 9th win, Sanchez, Frazier homer as Yanks bash Birds
BALTIMORE — In his five innings work Monday night, Domingo German showed why he has been a savior for these Yankees. The slight, 26-year-old right-hander also showed why there has to be some concern and discussion about his role going forward.
With ace Luis Severino still not having started his season because of a strained right lat muscle, German has pretty much been the leader of this staff. Tuesday night, behind home runs by Gary Sanchez and Clint Frazier, he earned the win in the Yankees’ 11-4 rout of the Orioles at Camden Yards.
“He’s been huge, no question. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the league, period,” Aaron Boone said. “At a time when we’ve had Sevy out, Paxton
is missing some time, CC (Sabathia) to start the season. To have him really do what he’s been able to do to this point has been huge for us.”
Tuesday, facing the Orioles, however, was not his toughest assignment.
The Yankees (30-17) have won seven straight over the Orioles (15-33) and remained undefeated in five games at Camden Yards this season. With the Rays loss to the Dodgers Tuesday, the Yankees expanded their lead in the American League to two games, their largest lead of the young season.
Sanchez hit his second three-run home run in as many at-bats Tuesday. The
catcher, who crushed a threerun bomb on Monday night in the ninth inning to win the game, hit one in the first inning Tuesday. Sanchez has hit eight of his 13 home runs this season off the Orioles and driven in 16 of his 29 RBI against them.
Frazier, who came into Baltimore on a 6-for-40 slump, hit two homers. The outfielder, who has been losing playing time since Aaron Hicks return, had gone 48 at-bats since his last homer. He also had his other two homer game of the season here at Camden Yards.
That gave German plenty to work with Tuesday.
He earned his major-league leading ninth win after allowing three runs, two earned on five hits over five innings work. He struck out five and walked one.
“Obviously the third inning taxed him. I think he threw over 30 pitches that inning. I think that wore on him a little bit. I thought he was really sharp, actually, gave up some hits, some soft- contact hits. I think that third inning wore him down a little bit,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he came out maybe not as sharp, hits the leadoff hitter, doesn’t turn the double play, doesn’t execute, then all of a sudden he gives up the home run and his pitch count is driven up.
“Certainly, a lot of good and what we’ve seen with Domingo, but I think that third inning cost him.”
German hit Hanser Alberto to lead off the fifth and then allowed him to advance and Austin Wynns to reach on his own throwing error. He then gave up a three-run homer to Stevie Wilkerson before recording an out. He worked around a single to Trey Mancini to finish off the fifth, but after needing 93 pitches to get through five innings, German was done.
German, who had Tommy John surgery in 2015, has pitched six innings in two of his 10 starts this season. That may turn out to be a good thing with the Yankees planning to cap his innings this season.
German pitched just 93.1 innings between the majors and Triple-A last season and never thrown more than 123.2 in
nings in a professional season. He is at 55.1 innings already this season.
Common baseball wisdom goes that pitchers who make more than a 30 percent increase in innings pitched from the season before are more prone to injury and a decline in performance. For German, a 30 percent increase would generously give him 122 innings this season.
For now, however, with Severino not expected back until the second half of the season, James Paxton still a turn away, German is leading this staff.
“Many pitchers have been out of the starting rotation and I feel that I have given an opportunity, to help the team and I have been doing that,” German said through team interpreter Marlon Abreu. “Anytime you contributed, you are going to feel good about that.”