Aaron Boone sticks up for Yankees pitchers with bloated spring ERAs

TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Boone managed the Yankees’ split-squad game in Tampa on Thursday, the one Opening Day starter Max Fried faced the Orioles in his final tuneup, so the skipper only heard what the Blue Jays did to left-hander Ryan Weathers over in Dunedin.

Here’s what he missed:

• Daulton Varsho clubbed a one-out, lefty vs. lefty homer in the Blue Jays first.

• Weathers struck out the side in a 1-2-3 second.

• Three two-out hits in the Toronto third made it 2-0, the last an RBI knock by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

• The Blue Jays’ fourth started with an infield hit and single to left, a one-out walk loaded the bases and then George Springer cleared them with a grand slam.

That was it for Weathers, and the Blue Jays went on to skunk the Yankees 11-zip.

“I heard (Toronto) got some runs,” Boone said after the Yankees scored two in the ninth to beat the O’s 5-4 in their other game. “Very early in the dugout, I heard like a lot of balls finding holes. I have not dug into the outing much, but heard it was OK.”

Two homers and seven runs in three-plus innings doesn’t seem OK, not when this made it three bad starts in a row, not when Weathers’ Grapefruit League ERA is 11.68 in four starts with probably one more tuneup to go.

While the Yankees are dealing with that, righty Luis Gil will take a 6.28 ERA into his last spring start, Friday night against Baltimore in Tampa.

And there’s this:

The Yankees farmed out No. 1 pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange on Thursday with an 0.66 spring ERA.

Yes, the Yankees still plan to start the season next Wednesday with Gil and Weathers making up the bottom of their rotation in some order behind Fried, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren.

Healthy and now building up from their surgeries, aces Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are being counted on to return early in the season, perhaps by May. But the Yankees still will need innings in March and April from Weathers and Gil … better innings.

Boone stuck up with both in his post-game interview.

On Gil, Boone said:

“There are so many areas that he’s moving in a really good direction. Now it’s just about continuing to build on the velocity and the shape of the pitch and then get his delivery where it needs to be that will allow him to have inception.”

That seems like a lot to fix in a hurry.

“The reality is he’s not far off, but we want to see him continue to improve,” Boone added.

On Weathers, who was acquired in January trade with the Marlins, his double digit ERA doesn’t seem to overly concern Boone.

“Everything matters, but he also is a guy with, even though it’s short history, a pretty good track record of pitching well when he’s been healthy,” Boone said. “He is healthy. The stuff is in line with where he needs to be.

“Sometimes in these (spring training) games, you have an outing in the first inning where they hit it around, a couple balls find holes. The Mets’ game in Port St. Lucie (on March 8), a couple chopped balls find holes, and then all of a sudden, you give up a hard-hit ball, and now you’re digging yourself a hole.”

Weathers’ first spring start was a really good one, 3 2/3 shutout innings with five strikeouts and no walks against the Nationals on Feb. 25. Since, he’s faced the Mets, Braves and Jays on the road game and was torched for 17 runs, 16 earned, on 22 hits and three walks in 8.2 innings.

“I don’t put a lot of stock in numbers,” Boone said. “In spring. I definitely don’t do that. You want to see guys … Are they in line with who they are, or, in the case of young players, are they developing? Are they getting better? Are they getting better at some of the deficiencies they have?

“So you’re trying to look at it all and evaluate it all.”

The Yankees have looked at it and apparently are staying pat rotation wise for now.

Weathers probably will start the Yankees’ last exhibition game next Tuesday against the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz., then he might not make another start until April due to off days in the first two weeks of the season. The Yanks still need to figure out how they’re going to use their fourth and fifth starter early on, and in what order they line up.

Regardless, the Yankees need Weathers to be better.

“I don’t feel like Weathers has been that far off and (he’s been) better than his line,” Boone said. “A couple rough first innings where they’ve hit the ball around on him a little bit, so he’s just got to get the ball to some better places.

“But I feel like he is throwing the ball well, so I don’t make that much of (his ERA). His stuff is in a good place. It’s just getting into some better spots where he’s gotten hit around.”

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