Frankie Montas Shrugs Off Another Stinker, Still Searching For Success With Yankees
ANAHEIM — After Frankie Montas was shelled in St. Louis during his Yankee debut earlier this month, the starting pitcher pointed out that it was just his first outing since being acquired at the trade deadline.
As much as he wanted to show what he's capable of right away, Montas recognized that he has plenty of time to settle into a groove with his new club.
Four starts and three-plus weeks later, Montas is still in search of his first quality start in a Yankees uniform, digesting yet another frustrating performance where he struggled with command and was doomed by the home run ball.
Montas took the loss on Monday night in Anaheim, allowing four runs on eight hits (three of them home runs) across six frames. Even with his familiarity with Los Angeles and Angel Stadium—after six years in their division with the Athletics—Montas consistently ran into trouble. He didn't have a clean inning until his sixth and final frame. By then, the damage had already been done.
"I thought Frankie was good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the 4-3 loss. "He was a little off I thought with his command. He was strike-throwing well, for the most part getting ahead, and I thought his stuff was good. He just miss some locations with some pitches."
In the second, Montas allowed his first long ball of the game, a solo shot to right from Luis Rengifo on a sinker at the bottom of the zone. Two innings later, ex-Yankees slugger Mike Ford took Montas deep down the right-field line on a first-pitch cutter that sat on the inner third of the plate.
Then, with the score tied in the fifth, Montas was victimized once again by Shohei Ohtani. The reigning Most Valuable Player in the American League took a 1-2 splitter and flipped a two-out, two-run homer over the wall in right, giving Los Angeles a 4-2 lead. It was Ohtani's fourth career big fly off Montas, raising his career average against the right-hander to .417 (10-for-24).
Montas said after the game that he had no problem with the pitch location on the Ohtani and Rengifo home runs. It was the pitch to Ford that left a sour taste in his mouth, an offering he was hoping to keep on the outside part of the plate.
He also admitted that he should've thrown a heater to Ohtani with two strikes. It was the fourth splitter in a row that Montas had thrown to the slugger in that at-bat.
Part of the blame falls on New York's offense, a unit that's been struggling mightily since before Montas was acquired. With little run support, Montas hasn't had too much room for mistakes. Seeing the blockbuster acquisition continue to get smacked around is still infuriating for this club, especially considering the pitchers they gave up at this year's deadline.
Jordan Montgomery has been spectacular with the Cardinals and JP Sears, who was included in the Montas deal, has pitched well this month in Oakland. Heck, even top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk, who was also part of the Montas trade, is expected to be called up for the Athletics when rosters expand on September 1.
Montas assured that he's still going out and giving his best on the mound when he gets the rock every five days. He's shown flashes of the ace-caliber stuff that allowed him to have success with the A's, but the overwhelming lack of consistency and effectiveness makes those sparks feel insignificant.
Asked if this stretch has gotten to his head, Montas was quick to shoot the question down.
"Not really," he said. "I mean, you can't think about things like that when you're trying to go out there and put a good performance. If you put pressure on yourself, you're done for the day."
MORE:
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- Aaron Judge: Latest Home Run Milestone Is 'Just Another Number'
- Yankees' Aaron Judge Clobbers 50th Home Run of 2022 Season
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