Yankees’ Will Warren Shines Despite Long Wait in Dugout

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Waiting 43 minutes between pitches is, well, not exactly a pitcher’s dream. But for Will Warren, it was all good given the circumstances.

Playing at Sutter Health Park added a twist, especially since the clubhouse and facilities weren’t accessible from the dugout. That made things even more interesting.

On Sunday afternoon, Warren found ways to adapt as the Yankees’ offense took off, scoring an impressive 13 runs in the third inning, ultimately securing a 13-8 victory.

During this offensive barrage, Warren stepped out to the bullpen to throw a few pitches. After the Athletics made their second pitching change, he managed to uphold the 13-3 lead by not allowing any scored runs in the bottom of the third.

He ended up pitching six innings, permitting just three unearned runs, all in the first inning.

“We had a big lead, but I’m not sure it was entirely on me,” Warren reflected regarding the bottom of the third, when he allowed two singles yet stranded both runners. “I feel like I could’ve pushed harder. After the third inning, coming back to the dugout, I shared my thoughts with [manager Aaron Boone]. Thankfully, I finished strong, which felt great.”

While Yankees’ teammates cycled through the bases, Warren sensed the need to stay loose. In fact, Anthony Volpe jokingly mentioned hearing Warren’s light panic about how to keep warm.

So, when the Athletics switched pitchers again, Warren jogged into the bullpen, threw about seven warm-up pitches, and returned to the mound for the third.

“Will managed to navigate through three lengthy innings and really settled in,” Coach Boone remarked. “How often do you see a starter head down to the bullpen? He handled six solid innings really well.”

Interestingly, the only run Warren allowed came after an outfield error, where Trent Grisham couldn’t make a catch under the sun during the first inning.

Ultimately, these long innings and the single misstep didn’t hinder Warren, who lowered his ERA to 3.22 over 12 starts.

“We were just sitting there, waiting to see if our team could maintain momentum after scoring 13 runs,” Warren noted. “Holding them to just three runs with this offense? That’s definitely a win.”