Yankees’ Carlos Carrasco turns in decent start vs. Arizona

No one would have predicted in mid-February that come early April, the Yankees would turn to Carlos Carrasco as their starting pitcher in a key game.

But there he was when Thursday night’s game against the Diamondbacks began at Yankee Stadium, charged with helping avoid a three-game sweep by Arizona.

Expectations were low, but if Carrasco could prove worthy of the task, he would at least buy himself some time and benefit of the doubt to stick around a while.

“Getting this opportunity,” he said on Wednesday, “I just got to go out there and show that I can still pitch.”

Carrasco had mixed results, but more good than bad,  allowing three runs, five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches and got a standing ovation from fans as he left the field.

He departed with a 9-3 lead behind home runs by Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm, bringing the Yankees’ total to 22 in six games.

Carrasco, 38, was a non-roster invitee to spring training, where he went 1-0 and fashioned a 1.69 ERA. He made the team when Clarke Schmidt landed on the injured list with rotator cuff tendinitis.

Aaron Boone said before the game that Schmidt will have two more rehab starts and pitch for the Yankees against the Royals on April 15 or 16.

That could spell the end of Carrasco’s time in the rotation, but hey, you never know. Stuff happens with pitchers.

Carrasco, a former Met who goes by the nickname “Cookie,” is a 16-year major league veteran. He is the 14th Yankee to make his first start with the team at age 38 or older and the first since Randy Johnson did it at age 41 in 2005.

He pitched in relief in the Yankees’ 20-9 victory over the Brewers on Saturday, allowing five hits and three earned runs in two innings.

Asked before the game to identify the key to Carrasco’s success, Boone said, “It’s command of both secondary [pitches], the split change and the slider, which has been so good from him, I feel like, all spring, as well as the movement on his sinker.

“He’s got to locate. He’s got to command it, and he’s done that really the entire spring. If he does that, he’ll give himself a good opportunity. Obviously, it’s an outstanding offense he’s going up against, but execution always is the key.”

Carrasco got off to an excellent start, setting the Diamondbacks down in order in the first inning by striking out Corbin Carroll looking, inducing a foul pop by Geraldo Perdomo and striking out Pavin Smith looking.

Carrasco gave up a run in the second when Josh Naylor walked, Eugenio Suarez doubled down the leftfield line and Alek Thomas drove in Naylor with a groundout to second base. But Carrasco avoided further damage when he got Garrett Hampson for his third strikeout looking in the first two innings.

The top of the third brought a 1-2-3 inning for Carrasco, who ended by getting Perdomo swinging — the third time in three innings an Arizona half-inning ended on a strikeout.

Carrasco threw 43 pitches through three innings before things went awry in the fourth. He walked Smith, allowed a single by Naylor, then saw Lourdes Gurriel Jr. rip an RBI double down the leftfield line, all with no one out. He then struck out Eugeno Suarez, allowed a  run on Thomas’ second RBI groundout to second and got  Hampson to ground out.

Notes & quotes: Boone said relief pitcher Devin Williams will return from paternity leave on Friday . . . Paul Goldschmidt did not start. Boone said he wanted to give him a day off ahead of a late trip to Pittsburgh, where Goldschmidt is expected to play all three games.  Austin Wells also got the night off, opening the door for backup catcher J.C. Escarra’s first major league start. “I’m sure there will be some nerves and excitement and everything,” Boone said, “but I’m excited to get him in there. I think he’s going to play a big role for us.” . . . Boone said DJ LeMahieu (calf) is about a week away from returning to baseball activities . . . Judge’s three-run homer in the first inning was his 500th career extra-base hit in his 999th game. He added an RBI single that brought his RBI total to 15 . . . The Yankees had struck out 30 times in the previous two games.