Luis Gil (four home runs), Yankees hammered by Pirates

Luis Gil failed to close the deal.

Both when it came to making a persuasive final argument for being part of the Yankees' Division Series rotation and allowing his team to clinch home-field advantage in the American League playoffs.

Instead, Gil allowed a season-high four of the Pirates' five home runs Saturday in a 9-4 loss  in front of a sellout crowd of 46,069 at the Stadium.

The Yankees (93-68) came into the day with a magic number of one to clinch home-field advantage. When Cleveland lost to Houston on Saturday night, it gave the Yankees the top seed in the American League playoffs, thanks to their tiebreaker advantage over the Guardians.

But all of that took a back seat to the postgame news delivered by manager Aaron Boone: First baseman Anthony Rizzo, hit on his right hand by a slider from lefthander Ryan Borucki in the seventh inning, suffered broken bones in his fourth and fifth fingers and is questionable for the postseason.

“We’ll see how the week unfolds,” Boone said. “What his [pain] tolerance is, what’s realistic. But right now, I think he’s just trying to have a positive frame of mind about it.”

Trailing 9-4 entering the ninth, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out. Suddenly facing a save situation, the Pirates brought in former Yankee Aroldis Chapman — booed loudly by the crowd — to face Aaron Judge, who already had struck out four times.

Judge, given the day off on Friday, entered the day with 58 home runs after homering in five straight games. He got ahead 3-and-1 before striking out swinging on a full-count, 100.6-mph fastball that appeared to be just outside to finish 0-for-5 with five strikeouts. Austin Wells lined to left to end it.

As for Gil, who will very much be in the discussion for AL Rookie of the Year honors (along with Wells), he was not good in his final tuneup before the playoffs. He allowed six runs, six hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings  and fell to 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA. 

“The long ball today hurt me,” Gil said through his interpreter. “And it happens. You have good starts, you have bad starts. Sometimes you have a clear plan of attack and you’re attacking hitters exactly where you want and they can also execute in those locations. So credit to them there.”

With Gerrit Cole a lock to start Game 1 of the ALDS against an opponent to be determined next Saturday in the Bronx and Carlos Rodon all but certain to start Game 2, it will be between Gil and Clarke Schmidt when it comes to the third member of the rotation for the best-of-five series.

Schmidt, scheduled to start Sunday afternoon, is 5-5 with a 2.55 ERA in 15 starts (he missed three months with a lat strain). Nestor Cortes was a long-shot consideration but was put on the injured list this past week with a flexor strain in his left elbow. Marcus Stroman already had been shifted to the bullpen (though he started in Cortes’ place on Wednesday).

“Really feel good about the decision we have in front of us because I feel like whatever way we go, I feel like we’ll be running out a good starter,” Boone said before the game. “Hopefully if we continue to move on [to the best-of-seven ALCS], more [starters] come into play beyond that. So where they’re at right now matters too [in the decision] and how they’re throwing the ball, and ultimately who we think gives us the best chance, as well as what’s the best fit roster-wise in setting us up as a whole staff in that first round.”

Gil, who has struggled in the first more than in any other inning this season, struck out two in a scoreless first on Saturday. Then he allowed solo homers by Yasmani Grandal and Nick Gonzalez in the second and fourth and two-run shots by Billy Cook and Jared Triolo in the fifth and sixth to put the Yankees in a 6-1 hole. Will Warren allowed a two-run homer by Nick Yorke high off the leftfield foul pole in the ninth to make it 9-4.

Even after hitting eight home runs in two days against the Yankees, the Pirates rank 25th in the majors with only 160 homers.

Pirates righthander Paul Skenes, 22, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft out of LSU who started this year’s All-Star Game for the National League and is the frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year honors, was dominant in  a scheduled truncated outing. Skenes, cheered on in person by his girlfriend, former LSU gymnast and social media star Livvy Dunne, struck out three of the six batters he faced, including Juan Soto and Judge in the first inning. He reached 100.8 mph with a pitch to Judge and demonstrated a hellacious two-seamer against lefthanded hitters.

“Pretty dynamic,” Boone said.

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