How shifty: Yank runs 270 feet on IF hit
NEW YORK — The Astros are unapologetic about their defensive shifts. Momentary frustrations about an opposite-field ground ball through an unoccupied part of the infield level out when a defender is positioned perfectly to take away a well-struck liner in a tight spot.
Deploying so many defenses requires perfect execution by players who are sometimes out of position. One or two wrong moves can allow things to go haywire. The Yankees scored a run from first base on an infield single in Thursday’s 7-4 Astros win. That defines haywire.
Asked to record a six-out save, closer Ryan Pressly yielded a leadoff single to Gleyber Torres in the eighth inning. With Torres at first and one out, the Astros deployed their shift against the switch-hitting Aaron Hicks, who batted from the left side.
Hicks hit a ground ball that Carlos Correa slid behind second base to stop. He had no play at first and could not force Torres at second.
No Astros players covered third base, which Alex Bregman left as part of the shift. As Torres sped there, catcher Martín Maldonado tried to lumber over but did not arrive in time.
“Maldy was supposed to be covering third, but Gleyber can run,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Maldy was running as fast as he could to cover third, but he had to retreat when he saw Gleyber (running) for home. He certainly didn’t want to catch the ball on a run. That could have been another run and the runner gets in scoring position.”
In trying to get to third, Maldonado left home unoccupied. No one covered the plate. Torres sprinted in and scored. Correa held the baseball the entire time as the Yankees closed the score to 5-4. Baker presumed it was first baseman Yuli Gurriel’s responsibility to cover home plate, but Pressly also was nearby.
“I think that was Yuli’s responsibility to cover home, but with these unorthodox defenses, which I’m not crazy about, you’re going to see plays like this, especially from heads-up guys that can run,” Baker said.
Pressly prevented the play from changing the outcome. He got Kyle Higashioka to bounce into a double play and end the inning. Maldonado struck a two-run homer in the ninth to offer more insurance.