CLEANING UP NICELY
Frazier blasts another HR in move to 4 hole
Clint Frazier homered again in Sunday’s 7-6 win over t he Royals in The Bronx. He’s now tied for the team lead with Gary Sanchez with six.
Asked about his confidence, Frazier said it is at “an all-time high.”
“It’s already high when I wake up in the morning,’’ said Frazier, who started in right field in place of Aaron Judge after Judge was placed on the injured list with a strained left oblique. “Whenever I’m having results and the team is out there fighting through things, hopefully it rubs off on everybody because everyone else’s confidence is rubbing off on me, too.’’
Frazier hi t cleanup in Sunday’ s depleted lineup that has held up well despite the loss of so many important hitters.
Aaron Boone said afterwards that Frazier has exceeded expectations this season.
“I think that’s fair,’’ the manager said. “He’s been great. He’s been an impact player for us. We’ve never questioned the ability or the talent. Last year, he dealt with a lot with the concussion and we still saw glimpses of what we viewed as what would be a good major league hitter. He controls the strike zone and impacts the ball. He’s a dangerous man when he walks up to the plate.”
He can be dangerous in more ways than one.
After striking out with Brett Gardner on first to end the bottom of the ninth, Frazier snapped his bat over his leg, à la Bo Jackson.
“I was anticipating a fastball at some point and he got me to chase,’’ Frazier said of the at-bat against Scott Barlow.
As for the bat, Frazier isn’t sure where it wound up.
“It got tossed down the stairs,’’ Frazier said. “I don’t know where it ended up. Someone else disposed of it.”
Thairo Estrada got his first major league at-bat in the bottom of the 10th, when Boone called on him to bunt Mike Tauchman and Gio Urshela over.
“It was definitely a special moment,’’ Estrada said through an interpreter. “I was prepared mentally for it before.”
Mike Ford delivered his f irst major league hit with a double in the second and scored later in the inning.
“I had to wait a few games, but it was nice,’’ said Ford, who was called up after Greg Bird went down with a torn left plantar fascia. “It’s just a relief. It’s good to get it out of the way.”
Gary Sanchez remains on schedule to rejoin the Yankees on Wednesday in Anaheim.
The catcher took batting practice Sunday in The Bronx and is slated to start in a rehab game Monday for Single-A Charleston. The Yankees chose to have Sanchez play there because of inclement weather predicted for some of their other minor league spots.
Boone said Sanchez will catch at least a few innings on Monday and as long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, will head to Anaheim on Tuesday and be activated Wednesday.
Miguel Andujar (sprained shoulder) made throws from t hi rd base again Sunday and will head to Tampa to further his rehab, as will Troy Tulowitzki (calf ).