The New York Yankees are currently third in the AL East with a 2-2 record in the early stages of the 2022 season.
They won their weekend series against the Boston Red Sox, but dropped the first game versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
They were shutout by Alek Manoah and the Blue Jays’ bullpen.
However, there was a positive development in the middle of the disappointment: the Yankees already have one starter who completed five frames.
It happened yesterday, thanks to Jameson Taillon.
“Congrats to Jameson Taillon, the first #Yankees starter to complete five innings this year. New York got just 10.1 innings from its starters in the Red Sox series,” MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reminded us.
Congrats to Jameson Taillon, the first #Yankees starter to complete five innings this year. New York got just 10.1 innings from its starters in the Red Sox series.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) April 12, 2022
Taillon pitched five frames and had a solid outing overall against a top offense: he allowed just two runs on five hits, with no walks.
He also struck out six Blue Jays, and allowed one home run: a two-run shot by George Springer in the third inning.
Yankees’ Starters Will Need To Go Deeper
Before Taillon, no Yankee starter had been able to complete five innings.
Gerrit Cole pitched four frames on Opening Day against the Red Sox, with three runs allowed.
Luis Severino had a 0/5 BB/K (walks/strikeouts) ratio on Saturday, but conceded five hits and two runs in three frames.
Jordan Montgomery, limited by some swelling on his knee, covered 3.1 innings on Sunday, surrendering three runs.
Taillon pitched on Monday and finally was able to cover five innings and give the Yankees’ bullpen at least some much-needed rest.
The Yanks’ relief corps are elite, but they will need the starters to pitch deeper into games because they don’t want to overtax their bullpen.
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