BABY BOOMERS
Young bats German gem propel Yankees over M's
There are multiple ways to exit a slump, but there are no better routes than those taken by Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres on Tuesday night.
For the first time in their very young big-league careers the rookie infielders had found themselves mired in extended slides.
And while big nights from Andujar and Torres in a 7-2 Yankees win over the Mariners in front of 45,122 at Yankee Stadium don’t guarantee the slumps are over, the escape route was very impressive.
Andujar hit a two-run homer that landed in the seats about the Yankees’ bullpen in left-center in the four-run fifth that also included Aaron Hicks’ third homer in as many days.
Torres, who had an ice pack on the right shoulder following Monday night’s win over the Nationals after sleeping wrong, accounted for the Yankees’ final run Tuesday with a homer in the eighth.
The four-homer barrage, which included Giancarlo Stanton’s first-inning homer to center off loser Marco Gonzalez (7-4), was one short of the Yankees’ season high. It was Stanton’s 17th homer and followed a 4-for-5 night in Washington on Monday.
“Every day I take more experience and feel good,’’ said Torres, who went 2-for-4, including his 14th homer of the season, after entering the game in a 9-for-47 (.191) funk. “I feel better every day. Try to put the ball in play and help the team.’’
Andujar started the game in a 9-for-39 (.231) slide. His ninth homer helped the Yankees hand Domingo German a 5-1 lead he didn’t relinquish.
“The best thing for me was to stay positive,’’ Andujar said of how he handled the first big-league slump. “I know I am going to hit.’’
The 48-22 Yankees have won 10-of-13 but lately the thunder in the bats had been muted since they scored just 36 runs in their previous 11 games. That’s an average of 3.3 runs per game and a testament to how good the Yankee pitching has been.
“They are showing the baseball world they are very good players,’’ manager Aaron Boone said of his rookies who each are running second in the AL All-Star voting at second and third base, respectively.
German displayed a Bugs Bunny changeup and located his fastball to limit the Mariners to two runs and two hits in seven innings. He didn’t issue a walk and fanned nine. As a starter he is 2-3.
“I would say fastball command, I think that was the difference tonight,’’ said German, who has put two solid outings back-to-back and impressed a scout on hand.
“Changeup is pretty good and he holds his delivery OK,’’ the scout said of German who retired 20 consecutive batters from the first inning to the seventh when Nelson Cruz snuck a homer into the first row of seats in left field. With the Yankees expected to land a starting pitcher (Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ is the early favorite) before the July 31 deadline, general manager Brian Cashman is already on record saying Torres isn’t going to be part of any deal.
Andujar doesn’t have the 21year-old Torres’ ceiling, but he is 23 with a loud bat. And, like Torres, he isn’t bothered by playing in New York. So it’s not likely Andujar will be sacrificed for a starter not named Jacob deGrom, the Mets’ ace who is a very long shot to move from Queens to The Bronx.
It’s hard enough to find young and inexpensive talent that can help a team win. It’s even harder to deal it after watching the neophytes begin to exit slumps like they did Tuesday evening.