#Gary Sanchez finally belts homer after being dropped to eighth
“#Gary Sanchez finally belts homer after being dropped to eighth”
After getting hit by a pitch on the left elbow in the second game of Wednesday night’s doubleheader against the Phillies, Sanchez informed Aaron Boone the hinge was good enough to start Thursday night.
Then the frigid-swinging catcher found himself hitting eighth for only the sixth time as a big-league starter.
“For me it is about playing. If I have the uniform on and I am out playing I am not going to pay attention to anything I might be hurting from,’’ said Sanchez, who hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning that cut the Phillies lead to a run in what turned into a 5-4 loss.
“I was definitely due. It was my time to put a really good hit on the ball. They were getting me out,’’ added Sanchez, who struck out in the second and fourth innings to hike his season total to 18 in 29 at-bats.
As for Sanchez hitting eighth, Boone said it was more a matter of wanting to move Gio Urshela up a notch than dropping Sanchez.
Boone was asked if hitting Sanchez eighth was in any way designed to lessen the pressure on a hitter who has batted third in 113 big-league starts, in the fourth spot 91 times and fifth 72 times.
“He has been hitting seventh so I just kind of flipped him and Gio. I don’t know hitting him eighth over seventh puts any less pressure on him,’’ Boone said. “I think he wants to do well and the bottom line is when he starts to string together … winning at-bats and that good feeling, then he will take off whether he is hitting fourth, seventh, ninth or whatever. It’s getting Gio up a spot as he is stringing together a lot of at-bats.
Entering Thursday night’s action Urshela was 9-for-18 (.500) with three homers, 10 RBIs and a 1.582 OPS in the previous five games. He went 1-for-4.
Boone didn’t have Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu in the lineup against Phillies’ Zach Eflin and it wasn’t because of any physical problem for the Yankees’ two best hitters.
“They are OK. Just through this stretch of games, doubleheaders and going to Tampa over the weekend with four [games] and three [days] just kind of strategically pick a day to get guys a little bit of rest through this opening couple of weeks,’’ said Boone, whose team will have played seven games in five days by Monday.
Judge struck out to end the eighth hitting for Brett Gardner against Phillies closer Hector Neris and LeMahieu, hitting for Tyler Wade, kept the ninth inning alive with a ground single up the middle off Neris.
Mike Tauchman started in right field for Judge and hit leadoff, which is LeMahieu’s spot in the lineup. Tauchman went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the second. Wade started at second base and batted ninth. Luke Voit hit second in Judge’s absence.
After the Marlins and Cardinals ran into an outbreak of positive tests for COVID-19, MLB implemented stronger safety protocols for all teams.
Traveling parties have been reduced to essential employees, masks are mandatory on the road in public places, staff and players are forbidden to meet in hotel rooms without permission and surgical masks are required to be worn on buses and planes. In order to leave a team hotel a staffer or player must notify the teams’ compliance officer.
A team employee and a representative from MLB will monitor the protocols such the wearing of masks and social distancing. Plus, players and staff must stay with the team on the road even if they have family in that city.
That is in play this weekend when the Yankees play the Rays in St. Petersburg. Several players and staff members live in the Tampa area but will have to stay in the hotel.
“We will be at the hotel,’’ Boone said. “I don’t know that it changes that much. It is just another level of, ‘Hey this is a strict policy.’ There is obviously more eyes and people monitoring at the hotel and in the clubhouse. They are going to be checked on that more than just from peer to peer.’’
According to Boone, Aroldis Chapman’s next step on the road back from the COVID-19 IL will take place next week.
Chapman threw a bullpen session in Scranton on Wednesday and is scheduled to repeat that exercise on Saturday.
“Probably start facing hitters early next week,’’ Boone said.
Masahiro Tanaka’s second start of the season is Friday night when he will face countryman Yoshi Tsutsugo for the first time.
“When I was pitching in Japan I think he had yet to become a starter for the team. That is probably the reason I haven’t faced him,’’ Tanaka said. “I really don’t know much about him.’’
Tsutsugo, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter, is in his first season in the majors. In 10 games this year he is batting .182 (6-for-33) with a .593 OPS.
As for his second outing, Tanaka believes his pitch count will rise from the initial outing last Saturday against the Red Sox when he threw 51 in 2²/₃ innings.
“I haven’t really spoken about the exact number of pitches but I think it will be more than 50,’’ Tanaka said.
Tanaka gave up two runs [one earned] and allowed four hits in that debut. He said he took some good from it and is looking for improvement in other areas.
“The fastball velocity, I thought that was pretty good,’’ Tanaka said. “But I think I can do a better job with the command. Going into [Friday] I would like to see myself execute and command both the fastball and the off-speed pitches a little bit better,’’ Tanaka said.
In 18 career games against the Rays, Tanaka is 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA.
If you want to read more Sports News articles, you can visit our General category.
if you want to watch Movies or Tv Shows go to Dizi.BuradaBiliyorum.Com for forums sites go to Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com
