Yankees’ bullpen falls apart, comeback comes up short in loss to Giants

NEW YORK — Yankees reliever Michael King is back from the gruesome injury he suffered last summer — an abrupt conclusion to what was a spectacular first half of the season — but is he back?

In his first outing of the season on Saturday, his first since he fractured his elbow in Baltimore on July 22 of last year, King showed flashes of that old form. He also ran into trouble, giving up two decisive runs in a 7-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium.

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With the skies darkening and rain falling, the Yankees’ bats tried to rescue King and the bullpen, but a ninth-inning rally fell short when Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a bases-loaded 6-4-3 double play that contained iffy footwork at second and first base, but replay upheld both touches and the Yankees were dealt their first loss of the season.

After Aaron Hicks struck out, Anthony Volpe laced his second hit of the game (and his career) to center. He moved to second when D.J. LeMahieu walked. Aaron Judge drove in Volpe with a single to left, cutting the gap to two runs.

But after Anthony Rizzo walked — thanks, in part, to closer Camilo Doval’s second pitch-clock violation of the inning, Stanton’s sharply hit ball to short ended the game. The Yankees (and the pitch clock) seemed to have Doval hurried, harried and on the ropes, but Stanton — who had homered in the third inning on a bullet into the right-field seats — couldn’t deliver with a 2-0 count.

Blame this loss on the the Yankees bullpen, which faltered, with King and closer Clay Holmes giving up a pair of runs.

Coming back out for a second inning of work in the sixth, with the game tied, 3-3, King immediately loaded the bases. Third baseman David Villar singled, shortstop Brandon Crawford doubled to right and King plunked rookie Blake Sabol. The ball didn’t leave the infield for the rest of the inning, but San Francisco was able to push two across.

Leadoff man LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in a run with a check-swing squibber in front of the plate. Two batters later, ex-Yankee Thairo Estrada lined an RBI single that deflected off Volpe’s glove. Volpe lost his footing on the play, unable to haul it in as the ball knuckled in the air.

King gave up two earned runs over 1 2/3 innings with four hits, one walk and three strikeouts. To make matters worse, Holmes also allowed two runs, struggling in the ninth. Yastrzemski and Crawford had run-scoring hits against Holmes, who got only two outs before a call to the bullpen.

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Holmes’ two earned runs proved to be the difference as the Yankees fell short in the ninth. They left eight men on base in the loss.

NOTABLE

— Josh Donaldson hit his first home run of the season, a shot inside the pole in left in the eighth inning.

— Clarke Schmidt was in a groove during his first trip through the Giants’ order, but he fell apart in the fourth. The righty allowed four straight hard-hit balls before manager Aaron Boone called to the bullpen, including a solo homer from designated hitter Joc Pederson and a towering two-run shot from Crawford. Schmidt finished his first start of the year with those three earned runs, five hits, five strikeouts and a walk in 3 1/3 innings.

— Volpe lined the first hit of his MLB career through the left side in the second inning off Alex Cobb. The base knock left his bat at 78.6 mph, sneaking past the outstretched glove of a diving Crawford. Volpe smacked another single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth, finishing 2-for-4. “A great moment for me and my career,” Volpe said. “Definitely one I won’t forget.” The ball, he said, will go home with his parents.

— Judge made a spectacular diving catch in center field to end the top of the third, robbing Estrada of extra bases. He ranged to his left into the gap, laying out to make the grab and spark a roar from 41,642 fans in the Bronx. He doesn’t get enough credit for how good he’s been defensively, an underrated component from his MVP season a year ago.

LOOKING AHEAD

Sunday: Giants at Yankees, 1:35 p.m., YES. RHP Ross Stripling (10-4, 3.01 in 2022) vs. RHP Jhony Brito (MLB debut)

Monday: Phillies at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., YES, MLB Network. RHP Taijuan Walker (12-5, 3.49 in 2022) vs. LHP Nestor Cortes (12-4, 2.44 in 2022)

Tuesday: Phillies at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., Amazon Prime Video, TBS. LHP Matt Strahm (4-4, 3.83 in 2022) vs. TBA

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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.