Trey Yesavage finally comes back down to earth in Blue Jays' Game 2 ALCS loss

It was bound to happen eventually. Trey Yesavage, who was called up just a month ago, finally showed on Monday night that he, too, is human, as he allowed five earned runs on five hits through 4.1 innings pitched. This all occurred while displaying significantly reduced velocity, a concerning trend that carried on throughout the entire duration of his outing.

In Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, the 22-year-old was as dominant as it gets, as he did not surrender a hit over five innings while fanning 11 against what was one of the most dangerous lineups that Major League Baseball has to offer. His splitter during the ALDS, proved to be his most powerful weapon once again, as it generated 11 whiffs (69% whiff rate).

Trey Yesavage finally comes back down to earth in Blue Jays' Game 2 ALCS loss

Monday's Game 2, though, was a much different story, and it came down to Yesavage's velocity and sharpness. Before fans could even settle into their seats, the Blue Jays were down 3-0. The runs came from a hit batter, a walk, followed by a moonshot from Julio Rodriguez on an 84 mph splitter that caught way too much of the zone.

Although he cruised through the next few innings, he ran into Randy Arozaena in the fifth, who weakly hit a ground ball to Andrés Giménez, who threw the ball into the opposing dugout. Cal Raleigh was then intentionally walked, which marked Yesavage's end to the night after 70 pitches.

Unfortunately for Yesavage's numbers, his inherited runners were driven in almost immediately, courtesy of a home run from Jorge Palanco. Although many fans were rightfully outraged by the move from Gausman to Little in Sunday's Game 1, this one seemed completely justified. The Mariners completely had his number, especially on the splitter, as it was not inducing whiffs like it normally does.

His average fastball velocity by inning spiralled downwards over the four frames. He started the game averaging 94.8 mph, but followed the first with averages of 94.3, 93.1 and 92.8 mph over the next three. Although Yesavage's fastball, which has averaged 94.7 mph this year, was around that mark, the fact that it was trending downwards most definitely affected the decision to pull him.

His slider was also down a tick on average tonight, along with his splitter, which allowed the Mariners to hold off on more, especially on the low splitters that dive down. His splitter generated only two whiffs, which is uncharacteristic for him, considering it's his most dominant weapon (57.1% whiff rate this season).

Although this game got uglier after Yesavage was out of the game, the call from skipper John Schneider to give him the hook was the correct one, regardless of his pitch count. He was not as sharp, his velocity was significantly down, and pitchers generally have a shorter leash in the postseason.

When you consider that he’s a young pitcher who hasn’t yet faced much adversity, it becomes clear that pulling him when they did was the right move.

Yesavage's outing on Monday night was the first time he had to battle through some kinks. Tonight's appearance, which could have been a lot worse, should not concern fans all that much. If his velocity is back to normal next time out, expect the rookie to return to the form that you're used to,an electric pitcher whose splitter has the chance to be the best pitch in the league.