Aug 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) talks with catcher Ben Rice (22) after loading the bases in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Yankees Starter Deserves No Blame for Red Sox Disaster

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Pitchers won't always have their A stuff. It's debatable whether Luis Gil even had his B or C stuff. Still, even with how ugly it got between the walks and the regularly scheduled errors in important games, last year's rookie of the year kept the Yankees in the game, despite the bullpen later giving away another one on George Costanza's big night.

Gil finished the game having completed five innings, with one earned run, three strikeouts, and five walks. Gil may have been erratic, but when Boston did have a chance to do damage against him, they came up empty. You can't ask for more in such a big game.

They made contact on four pitches that were over 95 MPH, but none were barreled. According to Statcast, the fly balls the Red Sox produced would have stayed in the park in every stadium in the league. It was a lot of empty calories on Boston's end, having failed to really cash in until Roman Anthony's big blast, which didn't come until Gil was out.

Gil spoke on Boston's flurry of base runners after Thursday's loss:

"That was really important there with traffic on the bases to give my team the opportunity to win this game. That was the main focus right there. Keep the game tight."

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The 25-pitch first inning set the tone for the night, and the way he finished the game mirrored the way it started. In his last 23 pitches of his outing, Gil struggled to get outs, and Boston looked like they were wearing him down. It was the right move for Aaron Boone to take him out when he did.

Depending on how one looks at it, a master class in pitching doesn't come when you throw sparkling gems, but in how they can work through the nights they are struggling.

The thing about Gils's stuff is that at his worst, he doesn't know if he is throwing a ball or a strike. Still, the one certainty is that he will be throwing something with wicked movement or with enough velocity to blow a pitch by any major leaguer, and it will always be with conviction. That conviction is how he walks away without a single ball getting barreled up by such a prolific offense.

A less talented pitcher crumbles in that situation, but Gil's arm is so filthy, he's one of the few pitchers who can get away with erratic command like that against a lineup that the Red Sox have.

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