Struggling Bird: ‘My fault for not getting it done’

The only criticism should come Greg Bird’s way. Don’t blame Aaron Boone for his failure.

“That’s my fault for not getting it done,” the struggling first baseman said after the Yankees’ 5-3, 11-inning loss to the Braves in The Bronx on Monday night.

With the bases loaded and one out in the 10th, Boone stuck with Bird against Braves left-handed reliever Jesse Biddle rather than using the righthanded hitting Chris Drury. The move backfired, as Bird struck out. Austin Romine also fanned and the Yankees blew a golden opportunity to walk off with the victory.

“I was hoping for a little more, but it didn’t work out,” Boone said.

Drury was the last position player left and the game was tied, so Boone felt it was prudent to save him. He also liked the idea of sticking with the the high on-base percentage hitter in Bird when a walk would win the game. It backfired.

“I got to do a better job of coming through,” Bird said. “That’s it. It’s simple, put the ball in play. Just do a better job. I can do that.”

Still on the interstate batting .198, Bird homered twice in Friday’s 8-1 win over the Red Sox. He singled and walked in his first four trips to the plate on Monday after getting Sunday off against southpaw David Price. But in the game’s biggest at-bat, he struck out feebly, blowing a chance to be the hero. Biddle started Bird with a 95 mph fastball he took for a strike. Bird then fouled off a slider and waved at an elevated fastball.

“It was a fastball, a slider and a fastball, and I missed the slider and I missed the fastball,” he said. “That’s it, plain and simple. Just got to do better than that and I will. I will.”

Boos followed the strikeout, Yankees fans directing their displeasure at the first baseman who has yet to get on track after missing the season’s first 48 games following right ankle surgery to remove a bone spur. Bird wasn’t aware of the harsh reaction at the time.

“I’m in my own world,” he said.

But he had no issue with it.

“I’ll show up,” Bird said. “I’ll be here.”

But maybe next time he’ll find himself on the bench when the game is on the line.