CLEVELAND — As the Yankees and Domingo German slogged their way through the first inning Thursday, Aaron Boone wasn’t sure the right-hander would even survive the frame.
“To have the pitch count where it was, you’re [thinking] are you gonna have to get somebody up?” Boone said.
German gave up three runs in the inning, hurt by an error he made, as well as some shaky glove work by Brett Gardner in left field and Mike Ford at first base.
He then shut down the Indians for the next five innings in a 6-3 comeback victory at Progressive Field.
Boone called it a “remarkable performance, considering how the first inning unfolded.”
Kyle Higashioka had a different description.
“The crap kind of hit the fan in the first inning,’’ said Higashioka, pointing to some poor defense. “We had some bad luck [and were] a little sloppy. It’s a huge credit to his mindset, giving us five huge innings.”
In his first start back after being sent down to the alternate site following two subpar outings to start the season, German allowed just two earned runs and gave the Yankees a chance to get to Cleveland’s pitchers, which they did with three runs in the third.
“It’s a telling situation when things aren’t going right,’’ Higashioka said. “You like to see how people react. He reacted in the best possible way. In the past, he’s been really good for us and tonight he showed why that is.”
After giving up four homers in those first two starts, which lasted a combined seven innings, German limited Cleveland to three hits and a walk after the first and struck out six in the 90-pitch outing.
With the Yankees in the middle of a 13-game stretch without a day off, German is certainly due another appearance in the rotation.
He said he worked on his fastball command at the alternate site in Scranton and made some other adjustments.
“I was satisfied with my fastball command and the results,’’ German said through an interpreter. “I want to keep that rhythm the rest of the season.”
He acknowledged it was a “really important” outing after being sent down following a spring training in which he looked especially sharp despite having missed all of last season while serving an MLB ban for violating the league’s domestic violence protocols in 2019.
“Being at the alternate site gave me time to work on those minor things I needed to work on,’’ German said. “I came here and had more confidence. Now it opens the door to find my rhythm and keep doing things the way I want to.”
“What he did today was unbelievable,’’ Rougned Odor said. “He was in a little bit of trouble, but he never gave up.”