Luis Gil solved six scoreless innings by making his major league debut, Giancarlo Stanton had a home run and four RBIs, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-1 on Tuesday night.
Gil (1-0) started the game in place of star Gerrit Cole, who entered the disabled list after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
The 23-year-old Dominican made a good impression on his debut. He allowed just four singles, struck out six and walked just one.
“The first thing I asked God was to give me a lot of strength to pitch, because I knew I was going to be nervous,” said Gil. “Fortunately he heard my voice and gave me the blessing to take my nerves away. I was totally relaxed and I trusted myself.
After allowing a pair of two-out hits in the fourth act, Gil forced DJ Stewart to hit a fly ball. The Dominican, who was 4-1 during 15 combined starts in Double-A and Triple-A, retired his three opponents in the fifth act and then immobilized Austin Hays with a slider to the outside corner, ending to the sixth chapter, when there were two riders on board.
Gil was only the eighth Yankees pitcher to have hit six or more scoreless innings when making his major league debut. The previous ones were Slow Joe Doyle (1906), King Brockett (1907), Tacks Neuer (1907), Pete Wilson (1908), Russ Van Atta (1933), Vito Tamulis (1934) and Sam Militelo (1992).
The defeated pitcher was Alexander Wells (1-2).
For the Orioles, the Mexican Ramón Urías 3-1. Venezuelan Anthony Santander 2-1. The Dominicans Pedro Severino 4-0, Maikel Franco 3-1.
For the Yankees, Gary Sánchez 4-2 with one run scored and one produced. Venezuelans Gleyber Torres 3-2 with one scored and two RBIs, Rougned Odor 4-1 with one scored.