JP Sears throws blanks again as Yankees top A's

The Yankees needed a spot starter to give the regular rotation a brief break in this 20-for-20 stretch — 20 games in 20 days. So they summoned JP Sears again from his Triple-A world, gave him back his No. 92 jersey with pinstripes on it and handed him the ball.

Why him? Simple.

“Performance,” Aaron Boone said before Tuesday night’s game against Oakland at Yankee Stadium. “He’s had a great year down there. His one [previous] spot start with us was really strong. He’s throwing the ball really well.”

The 26-year-old rookie lefthander hadn’t allowed a run in seven innings over his previous three stints with the Yankees this season. That covered two relief outings in a brief April stay after making the expanded Opening Day roster and his winning five-inning start against Baltimore.

The A’s also got an “F” in the scoring department against him. Sears fired 5 2⁄3 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk. Clay Holmes earned his 13th save after yielding an unearned run in the ninth, and the Yankees won, 2-1.

They’re now on a 48-14 run and sit a season-high 35 games over .500 at a major-league best 55-20. Sears is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA after four major-league appearances covering 12  2⁄3 innings.

But he was optioned back to Triple-A after the game.

“I thought his stuff was good,” Boone said. “Obviously, to be able to pitch us into the sixth inning, just a huge step-up outing by him. He’s having a great season all around and he’s done it every opportunity he’s gotten up here. Great job by JP.

“Just excited to know we’ve got a lot of good young options that are contributing big-time to this team.”

Sears was acquired from the Seattle organization in 2017. He went 7-0 with a 2.87 ERA across 10 starts after being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre early last August.

Now he was back up after indeed posting more glittering numbers down below — 10 games, eight starts, 1-1, 1.83 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 50 Ks, 39 1/3 innings.

“I thought he just attacked the zone and got after it with his fastball,” pitching coach Matt Blake said.

Sears wasn’t sweating over whether he had to go right back down.

“The business stuff of baseball, they’ll do that,” Sears said. “I’m just going to show up every time my name’s called and I’m going to fill up the zone and do my best to compete out here.”

The Yankees nicked Oakland starter Frankie Montas (3-8) for a run in the first on a two-out RBI single by Jose Trevino after a double by Josh Donaldson put two in scoring position.

Marwin Gonzalez doubled the lead in the second, pulling a pitch 399 feet to right-center for his third homer.

The A’s scored with two outs in the ninth on an RBI single by Elvis Andrus after a catcher’s interference call on Trevino and a single by Steven Vogt.

In the third, Sheldon Neuse had a single for the A’s (25-51), the first hit off Sears. But Trevino promptly picked off Neuse at first.

The catcher helped out Sears again with his big arm. Christian Bethancourt singled with one out in the fourth. But Trevino caught him trying to swipe second with two outs.

“The defense played phenomenal behind me,” Sears said.

Skip to the sixth inning. After Nick Allen smacked a double on Sears’ 78th pitch, Boone came out to get him. Sears walked off to a loud ovation.

“That was awesome,” Sears said. “That’s something that I really appreciate.”