PHILADELPHIA _ Jonathan Loaisiga showed himself to be an unlikely stopper.
And for one night calmed Yankees fans' nerves regarding the rotation.
Making just his third big-league start since his promotion from Double-A, Loiasiga took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a 4-2 victory over the Phillies on Monday night in front of 44,136 _ more than a few of them fans of the Yankees _ at Citizens Bank Park.
The 23-year-old Loaisiga, a native of Nicaragua whom the Yankees signed as a minor-league free agent in February 2016, was terrific in helping end a three-game skid, the Yankees' longest of the season.
Featuring a nasty curveball/slider combination to go with a fastball that reached 97 mph, the right-hander allowed one hit over 5 1/3 shutout innings in improving to 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He walked two and struck out eight.
The offense, without Gary Sanchez for at least the next 3-4 weeks as he landed on the disabled list Monday with a right groin strain, got an RBI double by Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge's 20th homer and a two-run single by the suddenly hot Giancarlo Stanton.
Loaisiga, perfect through the first four innings before walking Carlos Santana to start the fifth, fell behind Jorge Alfaro 3-and-0 to start the sixth. Alfaro got the green light and fouled off two straight fastballs to bring the count full. He then lined a 96-mph fastball opposite-field for a single. Pinch hitter Aaron Altherr worked a walk and Loaisiga found himself in his first jam of the night. Leadoff man Cesar Hernandez, who struck out in each of his first two at-bats, grounded weakly to second, resulting in a 4-3 put out that moved the runners into scoring position, one out.
With Loaisiga due to bat third in the seventh, Aaron Boone double-switched, inserting Neil Walker at first base, but batting ninth in the pitcher's spot and David Robertson taking over on the mound. Robertson was inserted in Bird's sixth spot in the order.
Robertson escaped, striking out Rhys Hoskins swinging at a curveball in the dirt and getting Odubel Herrera to ground to second.
The Yankees (51-25) stranded two in the first _ Didi Gregorius and Stanton worked two-out walks _ but broke through in the second against Phillies righty Vince Velasquez. Bird worked a leadoff walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Torres then flared a 2-and-2 slider down the right-field line for an RBI double that made it 1-0.
Velasquez retired seven straight after walking Gregorius with one out in the third, a streak loudly ended by Judge with two outs in the fifth.
The right fielder pounced on a hanging 2-and-2 slider and lined it _ 111 mph off his bat _ down the left-field line to make it 2-0. Judge had been 1-for-13 on the trip before the homer.
Loaisiga promptly walked Santana to start the bottom half of the fifth but that was all. Nick Williams grounded into a 4-6 force play. Williams stole second as Scott Kingery struck out swinging on a 1-and-2 slider, giving the Royals their first runner in scoring position. Maikel Franco trickled one back to Loaisiga for a 1-3 force to end the threat and leave the Phillies hitless to that point.
After getting out of the sixth, Robertson was not as effective in the seventh. Santana opened the inning with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Robertson struck out Williams but Kingery lined an RBI single to left to make it 2-1. Franco struck out and Boone brought in Dellin Betances to face Alfaro. The right-hander struck Alfaro out looking.
