Postseason not 2 much for Kahnle
HOUSTON — Tommy Kahnle didn’t pitch two innings in any of his 69 appearances during the regular season, split between the White Sox and Yankees.
But after tossing two more scoreless frames in Wednesday’s win over Houston to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, the right-hander has done it four times in the playoffs.
The extra work doesn’t seem to bother Kahnle, who through six games this postseason, hasn’t given up a run and allowed just two hits, a pair of walks and struck out nine in 10 innings.
“Coming over here [to the Yankees], I had to change my mindset a little bit with multiple innings,” Kahnle said. “I kind of struggled the last few years with it. Once I got here, I said, ‘Just take the ball and go’ and it’s been working.”
His durability has helped make up for the in effectiveness of Dellin Betances, who hasn’t record an out in either of his last two appearances. And it also has allowed Joe Girardi to avoid going to Aroldis Chapman in nonsave situations, because he’s trusted Kahnle to finish the ninth three times this postseason.
Kahnle was a main part of the deal that brought Todd Frazier and David Robertson from Chicago in exchange for prospects — including outfielder Blake Rutherford — and Tyler Clippard, who is now with the Astros, though not on their ALCS roster.
While Kahnle bolstered an already deep bullpen following his July acquisition, he’s really set himself apart in October, starting in the wild-card win over the Twins, when he threw 2 ¹/₃ perfect innings in relief of Luis Severino.
He was big again in the Game 4 win over Cleveland, coming in with no one out in the eighth after Betances walked the only two batters he faced.
And in Game 5 of the ALCS against Houston, Kahnle took over for Masahiro Tanaka to start the eighth and cruised the rest of the way, so Girardi could rest his other relievers.
On a conference call Thursday, Girardi said he expected Kahnle to be available for Friday’s Game 6 after an off day on Thursday.
Kahnle had a simple explanation for why he’s been so effective lately.
“I’m just staying calm and getting ahead,’’ Kahnle said. “Getting ahead is huge in the playoffs … because it seems hitters are more selective.”
It’s a lesson he’s learned only recently. After two ugly seasons in Colorado, who took him in the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees in 2013, Kahnle finally came into his own in the second half of last season with the White Sox. He pitched to a 1.96 ERA in his f inal 24 appearances, but even t hen, Kahnle walked 15 batters in 23 innings. “All my career, I’ve struggled to get ahead [of batters],” Kahnle said. “I never had [ control] consistently. I’d have spurts of being in t he zone, but I was t oo inconsistent. But I’m feeling really good now.”