Forgotten man hits big homer as Yanks hold off Seattle
With the return of Greg Bird, manager Joe Girardi was near ecstatic about adding a strong, left-handed bat to the Yankees equation.
Sure enough, the Yankees received a powerful, game-deciding left-handed effort — only it came from Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been something of a forgotten man in the outfield.
“I just prepare each day like I’m going to start so that’s just how I go about it,” Ellsbury said. “Do everything I can in the video room, the batting cage, early work in the field and then you’re just ready when your number’s called.”
Ellsbury’s number was called Saturday and he responded in a big way, driving in four runs — three of them on his seventh homer of the season — and the Yankees rode Sonny Gray’s seven strong, three-hit innings to a 6-3 victory over the Mariners before a Yankee Stadium crowd of 39,810.
“He’s handled it pretty well. It’s not easy when you’ve been the player that Jake has been and not to play every day,” Girardi said of Ellsbury, who is behind Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks on the outfield depth chart. “But he’s ready every day and he’s handled it really well. He cares about winning and the fact that he’s prepared to play every day tells us a lot about him.”
Ellsbury singled in the game’s first run in the second inning, then broke a 1-1 tie with his three-run bomb in the fourth off Seattle starter Yovani Gallardo (5-10). The righties got into the act, too, as Starlin Castro, in his second game back from a stint on the disabled list, singled home two runs in the seventh.
But the Ellsbury homer was the decisive shot.
“That was huge. That was such a big part, big moment in the game,” said Gray (8-8), who got his second win as a Yankee, giving up just one run on a Carlos Ruiz solo homer. Gray struck out nine, walked two and hit two batters. “Jacoby comes up with the big hit, and from then on we felt really good about ourselves. It was a really big turning point.”
For a second straight game, the Yankees welcomed back a regular from the DL, as Bird (ankle injury, surgery) made his first appearance since May 1. Castro returned Friday for the first time since July 21. Bird played a part in the initial scoring.
With two out in the fourth and the score 1-1, Bird singled to right. Chase Headley, playing third base with Bird back at first, walked. Ellsbury then belted a 1-0 changeup into the seats in right, making it 4-1.
“That was a huge hit because that rally started with no one on, two outs. For him to come up big like that, I thought that was the one that really relaxed us,” Girardi said.
“Anytime you put hard work in it’s nice to reap the rewards of the hard work, and yeah, definitely happy today I could come through for the team and we get a nice win,” Ellsbury said.
Castro’s two-run, seventh-inning hit essentially buried the Mariners, who started the day a half-game out of the second wild-card spot. With a 6-1 lead, the Yankees’ bullpen made it a little interesting by yielding two runs, one unearned, and stranding two runners in the eighth.
Chasen Shreve surrendered two hits and was victimized by Headley’s throwing error. Tommy Kahnle, last seen throwing behind Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, relieved and got two outs before Guillermo Heredia singled in a run making it 6-3. Kahnle then got pinch hitter Robinson Cano to bounce out. Dellin Betances pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
After going 0-for-3 in the first with leadoff man Gardner (single, wild pitch) on second base, the Yankees bunted to build their second-inning run. Gallardo walked both Castro and Bird. Headley sacrificed for the inning’s initial out. Ellsbury then lined a single to left, scoring Castro. But Seattle’s Ben Gamel threw a one-hop peg home and Bird was tagged out.
“I was just trying to get my hand in,” Bird said. “I wasn’t going to get my leg in so I tried to sneak my hand in.”
No matter. Ultimately, another lefty supplied enough damage for the Yankees.