Taillon starts must-have Yanks finale
Jameson Taillon, who left his last outing in the third inning after aggravating the partially torn tendon in his right ankle, will start Sunday’s crucial game against the Rays, with a wild-card berth on the line.
The Yankees opted to go with Taillon instead of Gerrit Cole on three-days’ rest. Cole had said he would be ready if needed for Sunday’s game after his last outing, but he has struggled — especially in his past three starts, with 15 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings — since suffering a tight left hamstring early last month.
Taillon was sidelined for three weeks by the ankle injury and returned Tuesday. He lasted just 38 pitches, but the Yankees were encouraged by how he felt afterward.
Manager Aaron Boone said after Saturday’s 12-2 loss to Tampa Bay in The Bronx that the Yankees should have most of their high-leverage relievers available Sunday.
Gleyber Torres has played better since his move to second base, but he heard it from the crowd — and Aaron Judge — in the seventh inning. Torres failed to hustle down the line and was thrown out jogging to first after a third strike got away from Tampa Bay catcher Mike Zunino for the final out of the seventh.
Torres was booed as he walked off the field and Judge spoke to him briefly.
Boone said that since Gary Sanchez was on first base, Torres didn’t initially know he could go to the bag. Normally, a batter can’t advance on a missed third strike if first base is occupied.
“First off, you’ve got to run,’’ Boone said of the play. “But with two outs it’s different. ... He caught himself a third of the way down the line . ... He feels terrible about it.’ ”
Right-hander Michael King, excellent since his return from a bruised finger, had an ugly outing Saturday, when he allowed three runs in just a third of an inning. Boone said he wanted to stay away from King to keep him available for Sunday, but also wanted to avoid using some of his top bullpen arms.
Prior to Saturday, King had given up just two earned runs and a dozen baserunners in 14 2/3 innings, while striking out 14 in seven appearances after returning from the IL.
It’s a bad time for bad Sanchez to show up. Sanchez, whose pinch-hit strikeout helped squander Friday’s ninth-inning rally, had another miserable afternoon Saturday to extend a woeful stretch for the catcher. He struck out, and was booed, to end the bottom of the second and popped to shortstop to end the fourth, stranding Gio Urshela at third. He also grounded into a game-ending double play.