Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery struggles in loss to Orioles
New York Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, center, is pulled from the game by manager Joe Girardi (28) as third baseman Chase Headley (12) and New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, right, look on during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Monday, May 29, 2017, in Baltimore. Credit: AP / Nick Wass
BALTIMORE — Jordan Montgomery lasted a season-low 4 1⁄3 innings, and Joe Girardi would have preferred a few more. But considering the rookie lefthander threw 34 pitches in the first inning and kept the Yankees in the game, it wasn’t that bad.
“It’s a young starter, you’re going to have some growing pains, but again he gave us a chance to win today,” Girardi said Monday after a 3-2 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Montgomery gave up three runs (one earned), eight hits and one walk. He struck out five.
“I [felt] a little rushed early, then I settled down,” said Montgomery, who fell to 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts. “Gave up too many two-out hits today.”
Five of the hits he allowed came with two outs. The most damaging was Jonathan Schoop’s in the third, a two-run double on a two-seam fastball that he sliced to right for a 3-1 lead. It came after Starlin Castro’s error on Mark Trumbo’s one-out grounder, but Montgomery refused to point the finger at his second baseman.
Asked about the impact Castro’s mistake had on him, he said, “None. I have to buckle down and get the next guy.”
After throwing 34 pitches in the first inning and allowing Trumbo’s two-out RBI single, Montgomery threw 22 in the second on his way to 84 through four and 100, tying his season high, when he left.
“I’m trying to go out there and eat innings,” he said. “You just have to battle, that’s all you can do. Things didn’t go my way today, but I’ll take positives from it and keep working.”
Montgomery, who emerged late in spring training to capture the fifth starter’s spot, said he’s learned one invaluable lesson two months into his big-league career. “Just learned that every guy can hurt you, 1 to 9,” he said. “They’re all really good hitters. If you get two outs, it can all still snowball from there, so you have to buckle down.”
As Montgomery sat in the dugout after his outing, pitching coach Larry Rothschild spent a few moments with him.
“Just told me don’t worry about it,” Montgomery said. “He said I pitched well, battled and executed some pitches. Just to keep working, that I’m headed the right way.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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