Gil’s First-Inning Struggles Cast Shadow on Otherwise Strong Season

After retiring the first two batters in Sunday’s game against the A’s, Gil ran into trouble by walking JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers, leading to a two-run double by Tyler Soderstrom. Despite this hiccup, he settled down and pitched effectively until the top of the sixth inning, when Ian Hamilton took over with two inherited runners. Unfortunately, Hamilton allowed both to score on a Ryan Noda double.

In Gil’s previous start against the Seattle Mariners, he narrowly escaped a tough first inning. He hit the leadoff batter, recorded a flyout, then walked two hitters to load the bases. A pop-out helped, but the inning ended when Mariners’ DH Victor Robles made the puzzling decision to attempt a steal of home, where he was thrown out to end the threat.

First-inning struggles have been a recurring issue for the 26-year-old right-hander this season. Coming into Sunday’s game, opponents had posted a .336 on-base percentage against him in the opening frame. Across his 28 starts, he’s issued 25 walks and hit two batters in the first inning alone.

However, despite his control problems early on, Gil’s first-inning ERA is actually his best. He’s limited damage effectively, holding opponents to a .158 average and recording a 2.25 ERA in the opening frame.

With a strong 15-6 record, a solid 3.27 ERA, and 166 strikeouts over 146 innings, Gil is poised to be a key starter for the Yankees in the postseason. But if he can’t sharpen his command in the first inning, he may face challenges against the league’s top lineups.