Trying to understand why Yanke...

Yankees starter Luis Gil’s latest troubling outing, allowing four runs in four innings in a 5-4 loss to Cincinnati, raised several questions, all outgrowths of the essential one: What is going on?

Let’s briefly explore some of the elements:

Gil has been holding his fastball velocity throughout this three-game slump, but opponents are pulverizing it. Is he tipping?

No, according to recent opponents. The league does not appear to have anything on Gil in terms of tells. They’re just seeing a lot of fastballs over the middle of the plate, and doing predictable damage with them.

Why is he leaving so many fastballs over the middle of the plate, including many to the Mets last week, and the home run he surrendered to the Reds on Tuesday?

Yanks manager Aaron Boone: “Look, I’m not an expert on the pitching mechanics part, but it just seems like he gets a little out of whack mechanically. Obviously, he is a tall guy, long limbs, so you’ve got to be synched up out there. Tonight, there was a lot of good in there, but then when it got [out of whack, he had] a hard time getting it sorted back in. And that’s a little bit delivery and pace related.”

Boone added before Tuesday’s game that Gil was struggling at times to maintain a consistent release point.

Gil, through an interpreter, did not really answer the question, saying: “That’s the name of the game. You’re trying to execute pitches. You have your catcher behind the plate. We have a good plan. He’s giving you a good target, and what you’re trying to do regardless is trying to execute a good pitch there and hit that mitt.”

According to MLB’s Baseball Savant website, Gil’s fastball is averaging two more inches of drop in his past two starts. That appears to help explain the recent meatball problem.

In Gil’s past three starts, he is throwing fewer fastballs -- 45 percent against Baltimore on June 14, 37 percent against the Mets last week, and 45 percent on Tuesday against the Reds. In his six previous starts before this stretch, he threw at least 50 percent fastballs. Why?

Gil: “Not one reason in particular. You’re just mixing your pitches. You want to be able to do that.”

Is Gil injured, or at least fatigued?

Gil and the Yankees insist that he is healthy.

Boone does acknowledge that the question is a fair one: “Look, you’ve got to consider everything. I don’t think this is a fatigue issue. I think it’s just a little out of sorts issue, and having a hard time correcting on the fly.”