Even amidst the Yankees’ midseason growing pains, Luis Gil remains a comforting option in the starting rotation.
He’ll take the mound at Citi Field on Wednesday seeking a rebound from the worst start of his career.
Prior to getting thumped for eight earned runs in 1¹/₃ innings against Baltimore last week, Gil possessed the fourth-best ERA in MLB and was the No. 1 pitcher in opponents’ batting average entering Tuesday.
If we set this blooper aside, Gil’s dominance has been a product of his consistent command inside the zone.
He’s striking out 10.73 hitters per nine innings, which is highlighted by his fastball that’s averaging 96.6 mph with a 25.9 putaway rate.
The Mets chase pitches outside the zone at a far higher frequency than the Yankees, who have kept the most disciplined eyes in baseball at a league-low 25.1 chase percentage.
The Amazins’ make contact on chases at the eighth-lowest rate in the league — a deficiency that should benefit Gil, who is No. 15 overall in drawing swings-and-misses.
Mets starter Sean Manaea has struggled with allowing men on base early via walks, a tendency that’s inflated his pitch counts and has caused shorter outings.
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Manaea has gone six straight starts without completing six innings, a checkpoint Gil has reached in seven of his last 10.
Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge are all hitting .276 or higher against lefties, opening the door for the Yankees to snag an early lead in Queens.
THE PLAY: Yankees first five innings (-120, FanDuel)