Trey Yesavage yanked after four innings, nine K’s

The right-hander racked up nine strikeouts on the afternoon while issuing a pair of walks. The White Sox scratched out a single run against him on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, then added on a pair in the sixth inning including a solo blast from Colson Montgomery. Yesavage generated a whopping 21 swings and misses on 95 pitches on the day — 12 of those on his fastball — while posting an elite CSW of 40 percent. He’ll try to get back in the win column as he carries a 3.78 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 78/41 K/BB ratio (81 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the Red Sox in Boston.

If you like games that feature pitchers throwing strikes — also known as a ‘normal human being’ in some parts — this one wasn’t for you. Toronto and San Diego combined for a whopping 17 free passes in this one, and Yesavage was responsible for relatively close to half of those walks. Four of them came in the first inning, including three to begin the outing and a bases-loaded base on balls a batter later. He threw just 20 of his 59 pitches for strikes, and he issued just one strikeout. Yesavage had solid prior to Saturday, so the hope is that this is just a one-off for the 22-year-old.

The unearned run was a product of Ernie Clement committing an error prior to Mitch Garver’s two-run homer in the third. Yesavage racked up seven strikeouts, his second highest total of the year. He allowed just three hits. He still hasn’t surrendered more than five hits in any outing this year, and he’s given up a total of eight in 18 1/3 innings over his last three outings. He’s 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA, and he’ll finish off the first half with a start in San Diego next weekend.

Yesavage fanned three. He gave up 11 hard-hit balls, including six flyballs in excess of 339 feet, but only three hits. The lone one that mattered was Francisco Lindor’s homer to lead off the seventh. Yesavage improved to 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA. He’s due to make his next start Sunday in Seattle.

Yesavage walked five and struck out five. He didn’t walk anyone against Boston last time out, but he’s handed out 20 free passes over 28 2/3 innings in his last five starts. He’s not getting hit hard, so even if it’s not ideal, he can get away with two or three walks a night. However, issuing five walks, which he’s now done three times, is making things pretty hard on himself. He’ll face the Mets next week.

Yesavage took a 3-1 lead into the eighth, only to give up back-to-back homers to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin to start the inning. As sharp as he was through seven, one imagines he still would have been lifted from the game prior to the eighth if the Jays hadn’t used all three of their top relievers to secure wins on Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving them unavailable today. It doesn’t seem like a major cause for concern, but Yesavage has now given up five homers in three starts after allowing none in his first seven outings. He’ll take a 3.76 ERA into his next start at home against the Astros.

It took a few innings, but Yesavage’s inability to challenge the Yankees’ hitters in the zone finally came back to bite him. He walked four hitters over the first four innings without allowing a run, mostly because he practically refused to throw a pitch in the zone. So, he was never squared up and got the chases necessary to end the threats that he created. Then, it came crashing down in the fifth after a double, another walk, sacrifice fly, and home run by Cody Bellinger. He ran into trouble again to start the sixth, was pulled, and both inherited runners came around to score. This makes three out of four starts where he’s allowed at least five runs and now has a 3.87 ERA, 47 strikeouts, and 25 walks across 47 2/3 innings so far this season. He’s scheduled to face the Red Sox in Fenway Park next time out.

Schneider also added that Max Scherzer (forearm) will be activated to start Wednesday’s series finale at the Rogers Centre with Trey Yesavage being pushed back to Friday’s showdown against the Yankees. The influx of veteran reinforcements also pushes rookie standout Spencer Miles back to a long relief role. It’s a stunning turn of events that Toronto has a legitimate five-man rotation again after piecing things together for most of the last two months. Cease threw 75 pitches in his final rehab outing and shouldn’t have any limitations in his return from the injured list.

After retiring the first two batters he faced to start the game, Yesavage surrendered a solo homer to Adley Rutschman to give the O’s an early 1-0 lead. It would be the only run and hit Yesavage would allow through the first five innings, as the righty was largely in control of the strike zone while generating weak contact. The Orioles got after Yesavage a bit in the sixth, however, with Jackson Holliday kicking things off with a leadoff double. Gunnar Henderson would later walk to put two runners on with one out, and was driven in by Adley Rutschman two pitches later to tie the game at 3-3. Yesavage would then give up an RBI single to Jeremiah Jackson to put the Orioles out in front, which was followed by a two-run homer by Coby Mayo to officially knock Yesavage from the game. Yesavage was solid before disaster struck. What was nearly one of his best outings of the season turned into the most earned runs he’s allowed in a game all year. He’ll look to bounce back in his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Phillies.

Yesavage tossed two scoreless innings before the Orioles broke through with a run on two walks and a hit in the third. Yesavage would go two more scoreless frames, ending his day after five with four strikeouts. He was fortunate not to come out of this one with more damage, as he issued a career-high seven walks. The 22-year-old right-hander will take a 2.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 39/17 K/BB ratio across 37 innings into a start against the Braves in Atlanta on Thursday.