Luis Gil makes strong spring debut, but Mets outflex Yankees
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Despite entering spring training as a bit of an odd man out, Luis Gil looked sharp in his first spring start, continuing an early Grapefruit League theme of strong pitching performances. The former Rookie of the Year tossed 2.2 scoreless innings against the Mets, who would win the ballgame behind a quartet of homers. The Yankees rallied to make the game close, but a pair of failed bases-loaded rallies and two runners scattered in the ninth doomed their efforts as they fell 6-4. José Caballero hit a home run for the Bombers in the loss.
Gil’s command looked solid in his first spring inning as he retired the side in order on 11 pitches. The fastball sat in the mid-90s and his changeup, which looked sharp, in the mid-to-high 80s. The second inning was lengthier and led to a run, but was in a way more encouraging.
Lefty DH Jared Young led off the frame, worked the count full and took him out to right field for a home run to open the scoring. After that, his opponents worked a variety of deep counts against him, but he worked around a single and struck out three Mets to retire the side. In the third, he collected two more outs—including a close play at first where he covered the bag in the nick of time—and departed from the game.
It wasn’t as flashy a spring debut as that of Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange, who have drawn all the buzz at camp this year. But Gil checked all the boxes he needed. He mixed in all three pitches, maintained consistent velocity, and picked up some strikeouts; with no walks included.
The Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the third with a Caballero home run off starter Justin Hagenman. Caballero figures to be the everyday shortstop to begin the season with Anthony Volpe on the mend from shoulder surgery, and if he produces at the clip he did in 2025 after putting on the pinstripes, he may stay in it.
The Yankees worked the bases loaded after the Caballero dinger, but failed to capitalize. Luis Torrens made them pay to lead off the fourth when he took Rule 5 draftee Cade Winquest for a ride to right center field. Winquest rebounded to retire the side and hold the Mets to a 2-1 lead.
Tim Hill got his first Grapefruit League work of the spring in the fifth inning. He allowed back-to-back singles to begin his outing but recovered in characteristic fashion, inducing a ground ball double play followed by a soft liner by Mark Vientos to put up a zero on the box score. Unfortunately the Yankees bats followed in kind despite loaded the bases once again.
Then, as a wise man once said, it was dèja vu all over again. Hayden Senger led off the sixth inning and followed the earlier first-strike bombs from Young and Torrens with yet another long ball. It was a great day at the dish for the Mets, and it reminded me of how excruciating it can be to watch a team that struggles with plating their baserunners in games that matter. Thankfully, this exhibition contest does not qualify.
Things proceeded quietly enough until the top of the eighth inning, when the Mets continued their power party. They got two men in scoring position with two outs for JT Schwartz, who made their position on the basepaths moot with a towering fly to right. That put the visitors solidly in the driver’s seat, 6-1.
Well, then the Mets saw something creep up in their rear-view mirror. In the home half of the inning, center fielder Kenedy Corona stung a fastball from Brian Metoyer out to right field and got all of those runs back with a three-run jack of his own. Corona made his MLB debut last year with the Astros, appearing in three games in July. This is his first year in the Yankees organization after five seasons in Houston’s minor league system. After his homer, you might say a corona began to shine around the Yankees’ chances of winning the game … sorry, it’s spring training for us scribes, too.
The Yankees brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, and it came down to Ernesto Martinez Jr., a tall lefty first baseman. But Martinez rolled over to first base, and the Mets grabbed the road victory. Oh well. It was encouraging to see Gil follow up the performances of Rodriguez and Lagrange with some fuego of his own.
Tomorrow the Yankees will travel to Bradenton and face the Pirates. Ryan Yarbrough will get the ball against a Pittsburgh starter yet to be named. Like today’s game, YES will not carry it, but the Pirates’ broadcast will be available via MLB.tv.
