Jordan Montgomery gave up just two hits and two walks Saturday against the Rays. They all hurt him again.
The Southpaw gave the Yankees a chance to win the game, but fell victim to the long ball in a 6-3 loss at Yankee Stadium.
The two hits Montgomery allowed more than six innings were two locals. He only walked two batters, but one came home to score and the other led the seventh inning before Montgomery’s day ended frustratingly. In all, he was charged with four runs.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Viouslybviament, two mistakes that cost him with the long ball. But overall, I thought I was six years old [innings]. I thought it was secondary [stuff] Was good. His fast ball and his cutter were playing. He was in charge of the game. Six strong innings, a manageable pitch count, surprised the boys. I thought he threw the ball very well.
Montgomery had given up a couple of homers in his last outing, also against the Rays, resulting in an undecided decision after being charged with four runs in five innings. The Yankees finally won that game last Sunday at Camp Tropicana.
The left-hander threw better on Saturday in the rematch, but was tagged with defeat.
“It’s not great,” Montgomery said. “But it gave us a chance to win, so that’s all I can do.”
Both homers that Montgomery allowed came 0-0. The first came in the second inning, when Rays catcher Francisco Mejia threw a solo home run on the short porch of the right field to take the 1-0 lead.
After the Yankees tied it at the end of the second, Montgomery toured Austin Meadows on four pitches in the fourth inning. With two starts, however, Manuel Margot deepened it with a two-run shot in the lightning runner.
“Only 0-0, trying to be aggressive, throwing strikes,” Montgomery said. “They had a barrel.”
Montgomery offered a duration for a rotation he has recently missed in addition to Gerrit Cole, working until the seventh inning to help spell the bullpen for a day.
“I always try to dig deeper and put some pressure on other guys,” Montgomery said.