Austin tweaks hip on big play
HOUSTON — When Tyler Austin made a diving stop on Brian McCann’s grounder to end the seventh inning Wednesday night, stranding two runners, he kept Luis Severino’s shutout bid intact.
The first baseman got the ball to Severino at first to end the inning, but came up with a left hip problem that forced him out of the game. The injury isn’t considered serious, however.
“Jammed my hip a little bit. I had a little spasm or whatever. But I went in and got stretched out and I feel great right now,’’ Austin said after the Yankees’ 4-0 win over the Astros.
Asked if he had any concerns about being available to play Thursday, Austin said, “No, not at all.’’
Until he was replaced by Neil Walker in the eighth inning, Austin had a great view of Severino’s complete-game shutout.
“It’s incredible. He’s in my opinion one of the best pitchers in the game and he showed that tonight,’’ said Austin, who went 0-for-3.
Mired in a deep funk at the plate, Brett Gardner was out of the starting lineup against lefty Dallas Keuchel. The leadoff hitter and left fielder, hasn’t started three of the past four games in which the Yankees faced a lefty. They aren’t the only pitchers, however, against which Gardner has struggled.
It got to the point he thought bunting with a full count against Justin Verlander on Tuesday night gave him a better chance at a hit than swinging away. He fouled the bunt off and struck out. Gardner said he thought about bunting in the next atbat, when he struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch.
Gardner took a seat on the bench with four hits in his previous 39 at-bats.
“I think this last week he hasn’t been getting on as much but up until the weekend in Anaheim he was getting on base,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, who explained he didn’t have a problem with Gardner bunting for a hit with two strikes. “He hasn’t started to hit with power. He is hitting balls on the ground that he normally drives. I don’t think he is that far off.’’
Since April 20, pitchers have held him to a .105 (4for-38) average, a .234 onbase percentage and a .339 OPS. A career .264 hitter who hit 21 homers last season, Gardner is hitting .204 (21for-103) with one homer and a .328 on-base percentage.
According to Boone, Greg Bird could be playing in minor league games within a week.
“Greg is doing very well,’’ Boone said of the first baseman who is coming back from a second ankle surgery in two years and opened the year on the disabled list.
The Yankees’ hitters and starting pitchers have played a big part in winning 11 of the past 12 games. The bullpen’s work, however, can’t be overlooked. In those 12 games, the relievers have worked 98 innings, allowed 67 hits, fanned 101, walked 34 and posted a 1.65 ERA.
Most encouraging is Dellin Betances being very sharp in his past three outings. In six innings, he allowed one hit, fanned seven and didn’t issue a walk. During the 11-1 stretch, Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, David Robertson and Betances have held opposing hitters to a .164 (10fo-61) average , struck out 25 and allowed 10 hits.
As far as awards go, Didi Gregorius is having the best week of his life. Monday, the shortstop was named AL Player of the Week. Wednesday, he copped AL Player of the Month for April.
Gregorius hit .330 (29for-88) with 10 homers and 30 RBIs in 25 games during April. He led the majors in homers, RBIs and was second in OPS (1.116). It’s Gregorius’ first Player of the Month award and he is the first Yankees shortstop since Derek Jeter in August 1998 to win the award.