Corey delivers experience in stretch run
BALTIMORE — Corey Kluber can bring more than just some strong innings for the Yankees down the stretch. The two-time Cy Young winner played on some contending and playoff teams with Cleveland. So he brings valuable experience of what it takes for a team to get through September to the playoffs.
“First and foremost, it’s everybody pulling in the same direction,” Kluber said. “You get to this time of year especially, and there’s really just one goal in mind. And that’s to win each and every night. Not always gonna be the case. But that’s the goal each day, when you show up to the ballpark, it’s not worrying about an ERA or batting averages or any of those stats, their individual stats. I think that stuff on the really good teams gets pushed aside. And everybody’s energy and focus is really just on winning the baseball game.”
So Kluber can put what was a frustrating season aside tonight when he takes the mound at Yankee Stadium against his former teammates from Cleveland, and focus on the playoff push.
In the three starts since he returned from missing three months with a shoulder strain, Kluber has pitched just 11.2 innings and allowed 11 earned runs for a 8.49 ERA. Obviously, Kluber and the Yankees would like to see an improvement on that down the stretch.
The 35-year-old had pitched one inning over the past two seasons because of injuries. The shoulder issue earlier this year is no longer affecting him, Kluber said. Now it’s a matter of tuning up his pitches.
“I have an end goal in mind of where I would like to be and I think I have an idea of what it’ll take for me to get there,” Kluber said. “I am just going about my business and work on it each and every day.
Kluber admitted he has been energized by the Bombers’ playoff push. He sees his injury and comeback as an example of what puts the Yankees in a good position to handle this final ride. They certainly know how to overcome adversity.
“I don’t think we’ve backed down from any of those challenges that have come because of that. I think that shows the character of the guys in the clubhouse, I think it shows what is important to them,” Kluber said. “We’re not worried about things that are out of our control. It’s like I talked about going out there and try and find whatever way possible to go win a baseball game.”
SEVERINO STEPS UP
Luis Severino will step back up onto a mound and face hitters Saturday. That will be the first time since he was shut down after scratching himself from a minor-league rehab start on Aug. 11. Severino will pitch two simulated innings against live hitters this afternoon at Yankee Stadium before the series opener against Cleveland.
LOAISIGA CLOSER
Jonathan Loaisiga, who has arguably been the Yankees’ best reliever this season, is beginning his journey back to the mound. The slight right-hander with a history of injuries will begin throwing again today, Aaron Boone said. He has been on the injured list since Sept. 5 with a shoulder strain.
His absence hasn’t gone unnoticed from the Yankees bullpen, which has been taxed as they’ve tried to compensate. Boone is cautiously optimistic Loaisiga won’t need a long ramp up to return.
BALTIMORE — No one said it was gonna come easy for this Yankees team, but no one imagined a loss this hard. The Bombers were just one strike away from escaping Camden Yards with a sweep and then it absolutely fell apart. Clay Holmes coughed up the one-run lead on two wild pitches in the ninth and then Wandy Peralta gave up an RBI single to Austin Hays as the Orioles rallied for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.
“I thought Clay threw the ball well and should have closed it out and so frustrating, but then we just weren’t able to add on (runs) at all today,” Aaron Boone said. “I thought we actually swung the bats well the first half of the game and didn’t have a lot to show for a lot of hard outs . ... We got to be able to add on and put teams away and we weren’t able to do that today. We let them hang around and they were able to get us.”
That snapped a three-game winning streak for the Yankees (82-64) and was a blow to their playoff hopes. They are now a half-game behind the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card race and currently out of a playoff spot. With 15 games to go, the Yankees have six against sub-.500 teams beginning tonight against Cleveland in the Bronx. Then the road gets tougher with nine games to end the season against the Red Sox, Blue Jays and American League East-leading Rays.
At least the Yankees are done with the Orioles, finishing the season series 11-8. Baltimore (47-99) held off suffering its 100th loss at least for another day. Blatimore had no more than four wins against any other team this season. “There’s definitely been a little bit of a roller-coaster ride, but I think just hearing the resiliency and the way that people are able to bounce back, we’re not out of the fight,” Holmes said.
Holmes could not work around a one-out single from DJ Stewart in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-runner Kevin Gutierrez advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on another,
ORIOLES YANKEES
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Yanks let lowly Orioles escape with one strike to go, then fall in 10
a 98 mph sinker that he yanked. It got away from catcher Gary Sanchez.
That was the 16th blown save for the Yankees in the second half of the season, the most in the big leagues over that span.
Orioles shortstop Richie Martin laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line to lead off the 10th, advancing the ghost-runner to third. Wandy Peralta intentionally walked Cedric Mullins to load the bases. He struck out Ryan Mountcastle on a changeup away for the first out. Austin Hays singled through the hole at shortstop to score the winning run.
The Yankees have been riding their bullpen hard this season because their offense has underperformed and it’s showing down the stretch. Thursday marked their 84th game decided by two or fewer runs, tying the big-league lead with the Mets.
Jordan Montgomery allowed one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 12 batters. That also gives him a career-high 149 strikeouts on the season.
He allowed a leadoff homer to Ryan Mountcastle in the bottom of the sixth. It was the 16th home run Montgomery has allowed this season.
As has been the case all year, the Yankees failed to support Montgomery. The lefty came into Thursday’s game with 3.64 runs per start, which is the fourth worst for a starter in AL and the sixth worst in the major leagues.
Joey Gallo hit his 10th home run with the Yankees and his 35th of the season in the third and Gio Urshela doubled in another run that inning.
But the Yankees were unable to add any more. The Bombers went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.
In the top of the 10th, ghost-runner Brett Gardner was stranded at second when Aaron Judge grounded out, Anthony Rizzo flew out and Gleyber Torres lined out to shortstop.
“It’s been like a roller coaster a little bit and obviously, we were one strike away, so there’s excitement you’re ready to kind of win that game and get into the clubhouse, get on a flight and be happy about a sweep.” Gallo said. “But it’s baseball and it reminds you you got to finish the game … and that’s just how it goes.”