BALTIMORE — It didn’t take long for Aaron Boone to notice Jhony Brito once spring training began.
Even though Brito was not high on the Yankees’ top prospects list, one of the right-hander’s early Tampa bullpens grabbed the manager’s attention. As Boone watched Brito throw from behind the mound, he alerted the organization’s pitching coaches standing nearby.
“He can help us,” Boone declared.
Fast forward to the early days of the regular season, and Brito is doing exactly that. Injuries thrust the 25-year-old into the Yankees’ rotation prematurely, but Brito has pitched beyond his years since ending his camp with 5.1 perfect innings. The day served as both an audition and, looking back, a preview of Brito’s first two major league starts.
After twirling five scoreless innings against the Giants in his major league debut on April 2, Brito foiled the Orioles at chilly Camden Yards on Saturday night, paving the way for a 4-1 Yankees win.
Baltimore only mustered one run off the neophyte, which Brito unintentionally assisted. After Cedric Mullins began the game with a single, the pitcher deflected a comebacker off the bat of Adley Rutschman, putting runners on the corners. Anthony Santander then lifted a ball out to right field. Oswaldo Cabrera caught it for the out, but Mullins scored on the sac fly. It was the first earned run of Brito’s big league career, but the only one he permitted in the game.
“He never gives in and he doesn’t ever get flustered,” Boone said. “It’s a great attribute to have.”
All in all, Brito tossed five innings while holding the Orioles to three hits. He also walked two and struck out two over 92 pitches.
He’s now begun his big-league career with a 0.90 ERA.
“This is a dream, from ever since I was a little kid,” Brito said. “I just wanted to prove to the staff that I could pitch.”
It took the Yankees a few innings to get going offensively, but Aaron Hicks — whose limited role has been a talking point — started the scoring with his first hit of the season. The fourth-inning, up-the-middle single off O’s lefty Cole Irvin plated Anthony Rizzo and tied the game at one.
“He’s worked his tail off, and he was prepared and ready to go today,” Boone said. “I thought he had good at-bats today, and obviously a big hit. I’m sure he’s not happy necessarily about the situation, but it doesn’t stop you from being a pro.”
The Bombers came back for more the following frame, when Anthony Volpe began the fifth with a triple off the right-field scoreboard for the first extra-base hit of his career. DJ LeMahieu then doubled him home and advanced to third on a wild pitch before crossing the plate on an Aaron Judge sac fly.
Irvin got Rizzo to ground out before departing. He allowed four hits and three earned runs over 4.2 innings while walking four and striking out five with 101 pitches. The Yankees recorded six hard-hit balls off Irvin, but those all paled in comparison to the missile Giancarlo Stanton welcomed Austin Voth to the game with.
Stanton smoked one 116.3 miles per hour and 436 feet off the Orioles reliever for his third home run of the season. The rocket easily cleared the new left field wall in Baltimore, which is now taller and further from home plate, and capped the Yankees’ fifth-inning scoring.
“The Great Wall of Baltimore tried to hold him in, but it doesn’t hold Big G,” Boone said. “That thing just kept taking off on a clothesline.”
Out of the bullpen, the Yankees received an encouraging contribution after placing Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier in the day.
Michael King delivered his first clean outing of the season, striking out three Orioles over two scoreless innings. However, his velocity remained down. While his velocity remained below his 2023 season average, King and Boone said it’s similar to what it was this time last year.
“I wouldn’t call it down because it wasn’t down from last April,” said King, who was also happy with some mechanical tweaks he made. “That’s more what I’m going on.”
From there, Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes kept Baltimore off the board, allowing the Yankees to even the series before Sunday’s finale.
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