Corey Kluber’s first outing with the Yankees didn’t last as long as he could have hoped, but the right-handed veteran had to be pleased with what he showed in his striped debut.
Kluber worked from a few setbacks in a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday in the Bronx and kept control for most of the day. He allowed only one race won on five hits in four innings. He broke out five and went three, leaving after running home to start the fifth inning,
For Kluber, this was another step back after missing all but one game last year as a member of the Rangers.
“It was fun to go back there and have a chance to compete with the boys,” Kluber said. “I think we generally pitched when we needed to.”
Cy Young’s two-time winner threw 74 pitches in his first start since July last year. Kluber kept the Blue Jays scoreless in the first two innings. He lost his command a little in the third and walked with two beats and threw a wild pitch. One of these beats, Danny Jansen, scored on a throwing error by receiver Gary Sanchez after Kluber hit Cavan Biggio. Kluber then hit Bo Bichette to end the half.
Toronto loaded the bases in the fourth, before Kluber made Jansen retire from the shortstop and exit the half.
“I thought Corey threw the ball well,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “It was quite easy for the first pair of innings there and then it had to expand a little, it had that small stretch where it lost a little area. Only the movement on his pitches, the ability to get in and out seemed very good to me.
“I generally thought it was another good step for him.”
Marcus Semien eliminated Kluber to start the fifth half and Boone shot him. He left the Yankees 3-2 ahead, but made no decision after throwing just four innings.
For Kluber, just being on the mound was a victory after a broken muscle in his right shoulder limited to 18 pitches last season with the Rangers. He has thrown just 36 ² / ₃ innings in the last two years, making just seven starts in 2019 with Cleveland while dealing with forearm and oblique injuries.
“You spend a lot of time alone rehabilitating if he’s away from the team when they’re on the road or coming in early and doing things before all the guys are there,” said Kluber, who signed a $ 11 million deal a year. Yankees, he said. “You miss this aspect of the team.”