As Gleyber Torres prepared for his first game back at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, the Tigers’ second baseman said that he didn’t harbor any ill will for his former employer.
“I know it’s a business,” Torres said when asked if was disappointed that the Yankees didn’t extend him an offer in free agency this past offseason. “I’m always gonna be grateful for the opportunity.
“To wear the pinstripes was an honor for me.”
Torres, who joined the Yankees organization as a 19-year-old in 2016, added that he was “really happy” to be back in the Bronx before going 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two walks in a 10-run win on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old went on to jumpstart Detroit’s offense on Wednesday, as Torres’ two-run single in the fifth inning broke a scoreless tie in what became an 11-1 loss for the Yankees. Defeated in another blowout — outfielder Austin Slater took the mound for the last two outs after another bullpen implosion — the Yankees are now 80-65 on the season. The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox both lost on Wednesday, so the Yankees didn’t lose ground in American League East standings.
Torres came up clutch with the bases loaded after Carlos Rodón allowed a single, issued a walk, and hit a batter with one out. The latter two results came against Detroit’s Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Parker Meadows and Javier Báez, giving Rodón a reason to kick himself toward the end of an otherwise solid start.
The lefty totaled six innings, five hits, two earned runs, one walk, six strikeouts and 102 pitches.
The Tigers plated another run in the seventh inning when Torres grounded out with two runners in scoring position and Camilo Doval on the mound. Mark Leiter Jr. had previously been called for runner-advancing wild pitch after one of his offerings got stuck in Austin Wells’ chest protector.
Doval went on to initiate the Yankees’ second bullpen meltdown in as many nights, as he served up a two-run homer to Riley Greene in the eighth. A Dillon Dingler double then turned into three bases thanks to a Cody Bellinger error before Meadows picked up an RBI single off Tim Hill. Kerry Carpenter followed with a two-run homer.
Per Stathead’s Katie Sharp, this is the first time in franchise history that the Yankees’ bullpen has allowed nine-plus runs in back-to-back games.
With the Yankees’ relievers faltering again — Luke Weaver also surrendered three runs in the ninth, including a Colt Keith homer — and Torres jumpstarting the Tigers’ offense, the lineup he used to hit for laid a goose egg against Jack Flaherty.
The veteran right-hander entered Wednesday’s game with a 4.85 ERA overall and a 6.68 ERA over his last six starts, but that didn’t stop him from throwing five scoreless innings.
Flaherty also held the pinstripers to two hits while walking one and striking out seven over 99 pitches.
The Yankees had two men on and one out against Flaherty in the third, but Aaron Judge grounded into a double play. He did the same in the sixth inning.
All in all, the Yankees grounded into three double plays.
Wells did hit a solo homer in the eight, but that was hardly enough.
With their bullpen embarrassed and their offense rather lifeless in the first two games of this series, the Yankees will try to salvage their three-game set against the first-place Tigers on Thursday.
Cam Schlittler is scheduled to start for the Yankees. The rookie is coming off the worst performance of his young career, as he only lasted 1.2 innings against the Blue Jays his last time out.
The Tigers had yet to announce a starter for the series finale at the time of publication.
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