Written by Dan Martin at New York Post.com
After Luis Severino bombed in Tuesday’s wild-card game, it figured there was no way Sonny Gray could be any worse.
Though Gray managed to make it out of the first inning of the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Indians in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday, he wasn’t much better.
Gray gave up three runs in just 3 ¹/₃ innings, walking four and surrendering a two-run homer to ex-Met Jay Bruce in his playoff debut with the Yankees.
“Jay Bruce is the guy that really hurt him,” Joe Girardi said. “Besides that, he pitched pretty well.”
That doesn’t do the Yankees much good.
And it hardly was the performance the Yankees were looking for when they traded three prospects to Oakland before the trade deadline to acquire the right-hander.
“It’s tough,” Gray said. “I put everyone on our side in a disadvantage. I put us in a hole we weren’t able to climb out of.”
Gray loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the second by allowing a double to Bruce and a single to Carlos Santana, then he hit Lonnie Chisenhall with a pitch.Gray was able to minimize the damage by getting Roberto Perez to hit into a double play that scored Bruce, then Giovanny Urshela flied to right to keep it 1-0.He retired the side in order in the third but found trouble again in the fourth.He walked Edwin Encarnacion to lead off the inning before Bruce hit a towering fly ball that reached the seats in right to give the Indians a 3-0 lead.
He left with two runners on, but Adam Warren prevented Gray’s outing from being even worse, getting the final two outs of the inning without allowing another run.
To continue reading this article, click here.
