SEATTLE — In his return from a 10-game suspension, Domingo German avoided enough bats and, more importantly, excessive stickiness on Monday night.
German was not his sharpest, but was not his stickiest either, allowing him to pitch 6 ¹/₃ solid innings in the Yankees’ 10-4 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
Making his first start since May 16 — when he failed a foreign-substance check in a game against the Blue Jays, leading to his ejection and automatic suspension — German’s hands figured to be heavily scrutinized Monday.
But he appeared to breeze through his checks with umpires, apparently having found the acceptable amount of rosin.
German insisted he used “about the same amount” of rosin as in his previous starts and that he was not feeling any pressure in his return from the suspension.
“But there are times where [in] the game, maybe you don’t need to use some because you’re feeling comfortable executing pitches,” German said through an interpreter.
The right-hander was checked for foreign substances after the first inning and before the fourth inning, and each time passed without any issues.
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“I was just focused on getting the job done today, executing pitches, staying calm through different situations in the game and I wanted to go as deep as possible,” German said. “Calm, clear plan of attack.”
On a night when he gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts, German was efficient with his pitch count as he worked into the seventh inning before being pulled.
Heading into the game, the Yankees said they would be vigilant about the amount of rosin German had on his hands throughout his outing, including checks by pitching coach Matt Blake and others in the dugout.
“He’s gotta be able to grab the rosin out there when he’s pitching,” manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “I’m not a pitcher, but a little bit of tack — I don’t think anyone’s looking to throw anyone out, but as long as you’re within the lines, I think you’re going to be fine.”
Boone said there was still a “gray area” in terms of how much rosin was too much, but German was able to avoid finding out on Monday.
“Overall, I thought he threw the ball well,” Boone said. “I thought his stuff was good. Probably not his best command, but to pitch us into the seventh, he got us off to a good start on this trip.”
