CHICAGO — At least on the pitching side, the Yankees may not have a bigger wild card heading down the stretch than Luis Gil.
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year flashed more glimpses of his old self on Sunday afternoon, even while still leaving something to be desired in another solid start before the Yankees fell to the White Sox 3-2 at Rate Field.
Gil allowed a pair of runs across 5 ¹/₃ innings while striking out seven and walking two (both on four pitches).
“Still finding it a little bit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Kind of a crafty performance where he’s trying to find his delivery, trying to be in the zone more. So he’s adding and subtracting a little bit with the fastball. Made a lot of good pitches, though, and for the most part limited the traffic.
“Hopefully we can just start to build where the command and control is there with the stuff following.”
Gil’s command has been an issue since he returned from the injured list after missing the first four months of the season with a lat strain, which is why on Sunday (and in his previous start) he came out with his velocity deliberately down before ramping it up throughout the game.
“I think when you’re trying not to walk hitters, you put some [on] and you subtract some velo,” Gil said through an interpreter. “Overall, that’s been helping me to do what I want to do in the strike zone.”
Gil gave up back-to-back doubles in the second inning that allowed the White Sox to tie the game.
But he retired 10 straight into the sixth inning before throwing a slider on the outside corner to Colson Montgomery, who drilled it to center for a solo shot that tied the game at 2-2.
Though he has not completed six innings in any of his six starts, the Yankees believe he is taking steps in the right direction, though they will need to begin seeing it come to fruition soon.
“I’m feeling more comfortable, definitely,” Gil said. “Finding a better groove, attacking the zone, and every outing, I keep getting closer to where I was last year. That’s what we’re striving for.”
Austin Slater went 0-for-2 with a walk while playing six innings in right field in his second rehab game Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Boone indicated he may need a third game Tuesday (the minor leagues are off on Mondays) before the Yankees would activate him.
Lefty reliever Brent Headrick (left forearm contusion) is eligible to be activated off the injured list any day now, but with lefty Ryan Yarbrough set to return from his own IL stint on Tuesday, Headrick is likely headed back to Triple-A once he is healthy.
The Yankees dressed in Western wear for their trip to Texas on Sunday, with many players — including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez — sporting cowboy hats and boots while doing their best impression of Trent Grisham.
