Starting at home no hit for Andujar

It was a dream scenario. In his first start in The Bronx, Yankees rookie Miguel Andujar made a few smooth defensive plays at third base, and in the seventh inning, he represented the tying run. Then reality struck. The young infielder popped up to second base with two runners aboard, and was pinch hit for in the ninth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Orioles on Thursday night at the Stadium. Instead of a memorable first home start, Andujar had to settle for merely a solid one.

“I felt super excited to start my first game here in The Bronx,” he said through a translator. “At the same time, we didn’t get the result we wanted. I’m hoping to keep getting an opportunity.”

With the Yankees trailing 5-2 in the seventh inning, Andujar faced sidearming right-handed reliever Darren O’Day. He fell behind 0-2 in the count before popping up. With one man on in the ninth, manager Aaron Boone called upon Brandon Drury to pinch hit, believing Drury had a better chance to reach base than Andujar, who said he didn’t have a problem with the move.

“He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities yet to get in the regular mode,” Boone said of Andujar, who was hitless in three at-bats. “This time of year, it’s cold and stuff. It takes a while to get in a rhythm. I don’t feel like he’s not having competitive at-bats.”

Andujar was called up on Sunday from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after outfielder Billy McKinney was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left shoulder sprain. Andujar was the designated hitter that day, striking out twice in four at-bats in a loss to the Blue Jays, and was on the bench for the next two games.

The 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, appeared in five games with the Yankees last season, but didn’t get a start in the field. He was impressive at the plate, driving in four runs in seven at-bats.

There was a thought he would start this year in the big leagues with the Yankees before the club acquired Drury and signed Neil Walker. But despite performing well in spring training, recording a .928 OPS, Andujar was sent down, and told to get work in at third base and first base with Greg Bird out following ankle surgery.

“Many times before I said just having the opportunity to be here makes me really happy,” Andujar said. “I got to be ready to do my job. Whenever that is, whenever they call upon my number, I got to be ready to play and contribute any way possible.”