Tommy Kahnle is living up to the form the New York Yankees were hoping for when they acquired him in 2017. He’s probably even surpassing their expectations this season.
Kahnle faced one batter during an appearance on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, striking out Max Kepler to end a two-out threat in the top of the seventh inning. The perfect appearance gave Kahnle 11 straight appearances without allowing a run or hit, which is the longest such streak in team history, according to Katie Sharp.
Tommy Kahnle: 11 straight appearances without allowing a hit or a run. That's the longest such streak in Yankees history.
— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) May 5, 2019
Kahnle has only allowed two walks during that span while striking out 13. Two of the appearances have been for one out, two for two outs, and the remaining seven have been for a full inning, so it’s not as if he got there cheaply.
The Yankees acquired Kahnle along with Todd Frazier and David Robertson as part of a 2017 trade with the White Sox. He pitched well that year but had a 6.56 ERA in 23.1 innings last season. This year he has a 1.42 ERA and has been lights out.
