Yankees’ pitching woes clear in loss to Indians | Rapid reaction

Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German coughed up six runs for the fourth time this season, this time in a 6-5 loss to the Indians at Progressive Field on Friday, July 13, 2018. (7/13/18)

CLEVELAND — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has hunted for a top-flight starting pitcher since the winter, but sticker shock has kept him from grabbing one off the shelf.

No pressure, but Cashman might really need two.

Watching Domingo German get smacked in a 6-5 loss Friday night against the Indians — a team the Yankees had to beat in the playoffs last year and might have to go through again — couldn’t have been good for Cashman’s blood pressure.

While German has been maybe better than the Yankees hoped as a rotation fill-in, the Yankees won’t want to count on him in September and in the postseason.

Especially not in Cleveland, where he surrendered six runs in four innings and never really gave the Yankees much of a chance before 35,078.

Meanwhile, Shane Bieber — a rookie in his seventh career start — mostly shut down the Yankees, who sat Didi Gregorius for rest and started light-hitting third-string catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Giancarlo Stanton’s solo shot to lead off the ninth against Cleveland closer Cody Allen gave the Yankees a last bit of a hope. Greg Bird immediately followed it with a single to right field.

But Miguel Andujar bounced into an easy 6-4-3 double play. And after Neil Walker worked a five-pitch walk, Gregorius came in as a pinch hitter for Higashioka and popped out to shallow left field to end the game.

What it means

The loss snapped the Yankees’ two-game winning streak. They haven’t won more than two straight games since winning four in a row from June 18 to June 21.

They started the day 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Red Sox in the American League East. Boston faced Toronto on Friday night.

The Indians remain atop the AL Central.

How it happened

An overmatched German put the Yankees in a 4-0 hole and needed 56 pitches through the first two innings. 

German struck out six but gave up five hits and walked four — tying his season-high. It was the fourth time German has given up six runs in a start this year.

He walked the first two batters he faced and threw a lawn dart wild pitch to move them to second and third base. Jose Ramirez’s groundout brought home leadoff man Francisco Lindor to put the Yankees down, 1-0.

Two doubles, two walks and a hit led to three runs in the second inning off German. Yan gGomes doubled to center to score Tyler Naquin. Then with two outs, MIchael Brantley doubled in Gomes and Lindor, making it a four-run advantage for Cleveland.

Yan Gomes doubled to center to score Tyler Naquin. Then with two outs, Michael Brantley doubled in Gomes and Lindor, making it a four-run advantage for Cleveland. 

The Yankees made it a game in the fifth, though, scoring three runs to slash the Indians’ lead to two.

Greg Bird stroked a leadoff double. After Miguel Andujar nabbed a rare walk, Neil Walker hit a double of his own, bringing home Bird and putting Andujar on third base.

Then Beiber threw a wild pitch that let Miguel Andujar score easily from third base before Tyler Wade’s nubber of an infield single extended the inning for Brett Gardner to hit a sacrifice fly to center field and plate Walker.

A two-run fifth — Jose Ramirez’s RBI triple down the right-field line and Yonder Alonso’s RBI single to right field — pushed the Indians back ahead, 6-3.

The Yankees got a run back in the eighth. Brett Gardner’s grounder brought in Wade, who had doubled to left and moved to third on a passed ball.

You should know

Chasen Shreve and Jonathan Holder each threw two innings and kept the Indians scoreless.

Next

Yankees lefty CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.34 ERA) vs. Indians righty Mike Clevinger (7-4, 3.34 ERA) at 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Progressive Field.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.