Frazier delivers in first taste of rivalry

Todd Frazier felt like a child, eagerly waiting to know what it was like to be a part of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. As a kid in New Jersey, nothing in baseball seemed bigger.

“I remember coming to the ballpark and watching these games,” the Point Pleasant, N.J., native said. “Anything can happen here.”

In Frazier’s first experience, just about everything did happened.

The newly acquired third baseman played a massive role in one of the Yankees’ biggest wins of the season, delivering the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, and making a game-saving tag in the ninth, to help seal the 5-4 comeback win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

“It feels really good, very meaningful,” Frazier said. “Somebody’s gonna come through, and it was me today, so I’m pretty happy about the performance.”

Up came Frazier, with the crowd as loud as it had been all year. On the mound was Joe Kelly, capable of approaching triple-digits with every pitch.

“It was very exciting,”said Frazier. “I basically went twostrike mode there on every pitch, see the ball better, and just focus on putting it in play”

Frazier, who went 1-for-3 with a walk, came through with an RBI single to left to give the Yankees a lead that once seemed unfathomable.

When Frazier returned to the field, with the Yankees leading 5-3, he may have made an even bigger play. With no outs and the bases loaded, Andrew Benintendi brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to left, while Eduardo Nunez attempted to reach third, representing the tying run. Left fielder Aaron Hicks fired a strike to Frazier, who backhanded the ball and then lunged for Nunez.

The call was out, but Boston challenged the play.

“I didn’t know where his hand was to be honest with you, but I knew I grazed him,” Frazier said.