Yankees: This Reliever did Something No Other Yankee Has Ever Done
By Manny Gómez
When reliever Tommy Kahnle entered Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, he did something no other Yankees reliever has ever done.
Tommy Kahnle happened upon the New York Yankees as a throw-in in a 2017 deal that brought Todd Frazier and David Robinson to the New York in exchange for Tyler Clippard, LHP Ian Clarkin, CF Blake Rutherford, and CF Tito Polo.
In 32 games with the Yanks that season, Kahnle boasted a 2.70 ERA, allowing just 8 ER in 26.2 IP. The following season, things wouldn’t look too hot for the 29-year old reliever out of Letham, NY.
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After landing on the DL for right should tendinitis in April 2018, Kahnle would bounce up and down between the big club and their AAA affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders. His big league numbers weren’t a reflection of the reliever they had acquired in 2017, sporting a 6.56 ERA whilst allowing 22 R in 23.1 IP, 17 earned.
Well, like feature film scripts require a strong character arc, Kahnle is starting to look like the protagonist in the movie, when he’s overcome some major obstacle. This season, Kahnle has allowed just 4 H, 6BB, and 2 ER in 13 IP.
Those 2 ERs and 4 H came in one single game back on April 10th against the Houston Astros in a game the Yankees would ultimately lose by the score of 6-8.
Since then, Tommy Kahnle has done something no other Yankees relief pitcher has ever done in the team’s history. According to Katie Sharp of River Ave Blues, in 11 appearances since April 10th, Kahnle “hasn’t allowed a hit or a run… that’s the longest such streak in Yankees history.”
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In accomplishing this feat, Kahnle passes Dellin Betances who just last season went 10 games without allowing a hit or run. Ironically enough, in some ways, Kahnle has replaced Betances, who has been on the IL since the start of the year, this season.