FROM THE TOP
Gardner has fought past extended slump to help lead Yanks
After another hitless game in Houston on May 3 for Brett Gardner, it seemed fair to wonder how much longer the left fielder would remain in the leadoff spot.
After all, it finished a fivegame stretch in which Gardner went 1-for-21 with just one run, a walk, nine strikeouts and dropped his OPS to .565.
Some of Gardner’s woes had been overshadowed by the team’s recent incredible run, but he has put an end to such worries on his own with a sudden turnaround at the plate that included two more hits and a run in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the A’s at the Stadium.
It was Gardner’s third multi-hit performance in his past five games and he’s scored at least a run in each one.
That’s part of a larger resurgence, as Gardner is 11-for-33 over his past nine games, with two doubles, a triple, six RBIs, eight walks and just four strikeouts.
“Better,’’ Gardner said when asked how he felt at the plate. “My job is to see pitches and do my best to get on base for those guys behind me.”
Gardner is doing a fine job of seeing pitches. So far this season, Gardner has seen 4.34 pitches per plate appearance, according to Fangraphs, up from last year when he saw 4.24 pitches.
But the recent results are nice, as well.
On Sunday, he led off the bottom of the first against left-hander Brett Anderson by just beating out a grounder to short.
He moved to third on an Aaron Judge double and after a walk by Didi Gregorius, Gardner came around to score on Giancarlo Stanton’s single to center, as the Yankees jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first.
Gardner also singled to center in the third and it took a nifty play by Oakland second baseman Jed Lowrie to prevent him from another single in the fourth.
All that comes a day after Gardner made his presence felt with a strong throw home to get Matt Olson in the top of the ninth of a game the Yankees won in 11 innings.
“I don’t see a lot of difference frankly,” manager Aaron Boone said of Gardner’s approach at the plate now that he’s having better production. “Maybe he’s been a little bit crisper on pitches in the strike zone, especially when he’s gotten into some hitter’s counts.”
Gardner’s tear comes at a good time, since eyes would have eventually turned to Clint Frazier at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where the prospect is hitting well.
He’s homered in his past two games and is 11-for-25 in his last five, but Gardner showed again Sunday he can be a force at the top of the lineup.
“I do think there’s room for improvement,’’ Gardner said. “For myself — and for some other guys, as well.”