Chase Headley’s game-winning hit will be the lasting memory from his Yankees debut, but Chase Whitley’s unexpectedly strong pitching performance is what the team will need to stay in contention in the second half of the season.
Making his first appearance since the All-Star break, the rookie right-hander snapped out of a month-long slump, turning in what may have been the best start of his young career, as he threw six-plus shutout innings while striking out six in the Yankees’ night’s 2-1, 14-inning win over the Rangers Tuesday night in The Bronx.
“I went into this one like it was a new beginning, the second half of the season,” Whitley said. “I felt good. I felt like I was in command.”
With 80 percent of the starting rotation on the disabled list, Whitley finally gave the Yankees what they needed, though the 25-year-old received nothing in return.
Pitching at least five innings for the first time since June 18, Whitley (4-3) allowed seven hits, but threw the longest scoreless outing of his career, giving the Yankees anemic offense plenty of time to offer support. Instead, the lineup went 12 innings without scoring a run, amassing only four hits through the first 11 innings.
Struggling over his past four starts, Whitley showed resilience from the beginning, brushing aside his ballooned ERA of 5.10 and bringing back the success of his first seven starts, when he posted a 2.56 ERA. Following Tuesday’s no-decision, Whitley’s ERA dropped to 4.60.
“He was great,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He had an outstanding performance tonight, got into the seventh inning for us.
“I thought his stuff was really sharp. I thought his changeup was really good. I thought his slider was sharp and I think the rest helped him.”
Whitley was tested several times, surrendering a leadoff hit in each of the first four innings.
In the second inning, Leonys Martin opened with a leadoff single, in which the center fielder took an extra base after Zelous Wheeler’s throwing error. Though Martin reached third after a wild pitch with no outs, Whitley recovered, inducing a ground ball from J.P. Arencibia, striking out Robinson Chirinos and getting another ground ball from Rougned Odor to end the inning unscathed.
Whitley would leave the scoreless tie in the seventh inning, after giving up a leadoff single to Adrian Beltre, having thrown 75 pitches.
“The workload had gotten to me a little bit, but today I was able to attack from pitch one,” Whitley said. “I was just getting ahead of hitters, attacking and being aggressive. Other than that, it was really nothing different.
“When you go through struggles, it’s a test of character. You got to get through it. You just have to keep battling.Even when times weren’t good out there, I just felt like I was battling.”