Yankees' Luis Gil combines with three relievers to one-hit Cubs

CHICAGO — A few more of these and the Yankees will have a tough call to make when it comes to Luis Gil.

Really tough.

Because of the Yankees' desire to manage the rookie’s workload, an amalgam of healthy starters and the obvious potential of his stuff playing up as a reliever, it long has been speculated that he will be in the bullpen by season’s end and into the postseason.

But  Friday afternoon’s performance, in which Gil allowed one hit and struck out seven in six innings in a 3-0 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, begs this question: How do you possibly take him out of the rotation?

Gil, making his return after a 15-day stay on the injured list with a lower back strain,  allowed only a fourth-inning double by Cody Bellinger and walked two in improving to 13-6 with a 3.24 ERA in 25 starts. Bellinger, who hit a hard ground ball to the left of diving first baseman Anthony Rizzo and down the rightfield line, was 1-for-2 with two walks. His teammates were 0-for-26 with two walks and 13 strikeouts.

“I thought as the game went on, you just saw Gil get more and more confident,” said longtime Cub  Rizzo, who was traded to the Yankees during the 2021 season and received a pregame video tribute and two lengthy ovations from the crowd of 40,101. “And when he’s throwing with that confidence, it’s fun to watch. He set the tone for us.”

The Cubs came into the day having won 13 of their last 18 but looked helpless against Gil.

His fastball was a tick down at the start — “tick” being relative, as it still sat around 96 mph — but he soon was throwing his usual 97-98, and his velocity stayed there all the way to the end of his 89-pitch outing.

“The more innings that I pitched, I was feeling more comfortable, more loose on the mound,” Gil said through his interpreter. “The arm was feeling good and in a great rhythm. Definitely toward the end, I had more velo and felt stronger.”

Luke Weaver, effective as a multi-inning reliever this season, struck out two and walked one in the ninth for his first career save.

Aaron Boone had indicated that he was open to other closing options in the “short term" besides Clay Holmes, who leads the majors with 11 blown saves, and Weaver was the first manifestation of that.

Weaver, a starter most of his career whose big-league debut (in 2016) coincidentally occurred at Wrigley Field, vividly described his emotions coming to the mound Friday.

“I can give you the correct answer, the professional answer, or I could give you an actual answer: I couldn’t see straight. I was blacked out for the most part. I was on pure adrenaline,” said Weaver, an easygoing Floridian who often amuses his teammates with a certain way with words. “But it was a great time. It’s an honor to be able to go out there and try to get three of the most important outs in the ballgame.”

Boone said Weaver “could” get more opportunities to close. Two other candidates — and Holmes still remains one — also pitched well. Jake Cousins struck out two and walked one in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out two in a perfect eighth.

“The bullpen came in and did an amazing job,” Gil said.

The Yankees (81-60), who remained a half-game behind the AL East-leading Orioles, scored their three runs in the third inning against Chicago lefthander Jordan Wicks.

Gleyber Torres walked, Juan Soto singled and  Aaron Judge grounded an RBI double over third base and down the leftfield line to make it 1-0. Austin Wells, continuing to produce in the cleanup spot, lined a two-run single to left-center for a 3-0 lead.

Rizzo, an iconic Cub because of his stature on the 2016 championship team that ended the franchise’s 108-year curse without a title, teared up during Friday’s video tribute (which many of his current teammates watched as it played on the big screen atop the famous bleachers in left).

“I was trying to hold it together, but you’ve got to enjoy these moments and I was just being raw,” said Rizzo, who before the game said “I really hope” to be able to retire as a Yankee. “I loved it here, I loved playing at Wrigley every day. The atmosphere every day is unmatched and there’s only a few select places that are like that. I’m playing for one currently right now in New York, and played here at Wrigley for so long. Very grateful for the places I’ve played.”