Yankees' Reliever Lucas Luetge Earns First Win in MLB Since 2013
It took almost 3,000 days, but left-hander Lucas Luetge is back to winning games out of the bullpen at the big-league level.
The reliever was credited with his first win since Sept. 4, 2013 on Friday, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings out of the 'pen in the Yankees' 5-3 victory over the Indians.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone called the southpaw "terrific" after the game, showing once again that he's not afraid to call on Luetge in pressure-filled situations.
"He's been another guy down there that's been awesome," Boone said. "He's been another huge piece for us down there. Man, it's pretty cool. First win since '13."
Coming in to replace left-hander Jordan Montgomery with two outs in the fifth, Luetge was tasked with getting out of a jam. Runners stood on first and third and one of Cleveland's most dangerous hitters—Franmil Reyes—loomed in the batter's box.
The left-hander put Reyes away on four pitches, freezing the slugger with a pretty breaking ball at the bottom of the zone for a called third strike.
Luetge revealed after the game that he was aiming for the curve to be more of a chase pitch, missing his spot, but the execution was good enough to get Reyes looking to get New York out of the jam.
It's been a long road back to a big-league mound for Luetge, the 34-year-old that impressed during spring training as a non-roster invitee and earned a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The last time Luetge pitched in an MLB game during the regular season before this spring was 2015, the final season of a four-year run with the Seattle Mariners. In the five-plus years that followed, Luetge donned a different uniform every spring, constantly seeking a big-league opportunity.
He missed some time after undergoing Tommy John surgery along the way, but never stopped striving to get back to the show. That hard work was rewarded this spring, with a remarkable performance in Grapefruit League play, and he's taken full advantage of a role in the Yankees' dominant 'pen to start the season.
"I knew coming in what my role would be, filling the gap to the back end of the bullpen," Luetge said. "So I accepted that. I've done long relief, I've done some shorter, so whenever he calls my name, I just get ready and just prepare for any part of the game, really."
Lucas Luetge Is Cherishing Every Moment of Big-League Opportunity With Yankees
Luetge's numbers are far from perfect—he's posted a 4.97 ERA through seven appearances and 12.2 innings—but a lot of those runs have been from weak contact. Luetge ranks in the 99th percentile this season when it comes to average exit velocity. Opponents have hit the ball in play, on average, at 81.7 mph.
After the win, Luetge said he didn't realize he had secured his first win until looking at his phone in the clubhouse, seeing a congratulatory text from a friend.
His next mission now that he's returned to the win column? Getting his hands on the scorecard from Friday night's victory.
"I think they're gonna go look for one so that way when we get home, I can get it signed by all the guys and get it framed for my house."
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