DAWN OF AN ERROR
A-Rod makes mess of debut at 1st as sloppy Yanks drop another to Boston
A-Rod looks more like E-Rod playing first base for first time yesterday as sleep-deprived Yanks continue slide and lose to Red Sox, 8-4.
THE YANKEES’ defense was a wreck Saturday, a tired unit that made three more errors, including one by the new backup first baseman, Alex Rodriguez. They missed other catchable balls and, at one point, one just stood there as Red Sox rounded the bases.
Maybe it was just a bad day or maybe the fog hadn’t cleared after Friday night’s marathon game, although fatigue and lethargy didn’t seem to hinder Boston. Whatever the case, the Yankees lost again to their rivals, this time by an 8-4 score in front of 46,678 at the Stadium.
“Some of the errors that we’ve made, it is confusing,” Joe Girardi said. “But I expect that to change.”
It had better. Coming into this season, the Yankees were supposed to be an improved defensive team, more athletic and more attuned to the runprevention requirements of this offensively challenged era. But the Yanks have made eight errors in only five games.
Is it any wonder they are 1- 4?
“We’ve got to play better,” said Chase Headley, when asked about the defense. “It’s as simple as that. We’re better than that and we’ve got to clean it up.”
Then they can get to work on the offense; they are hitting an anemic .193 (36-for-187) with a .280 on-base percentage and .342 slugging. Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mark Teixeira and Stephen Drew had the day off, and the Yankees managed only five hits total and just one in seven innings against Boston starter Joe Kelly, who retired the last 17 batters he faced. Chris Young hit a garbage-time, three-run homer in the eighth inning or the final score would’ve looked worse.
Rodriguez was originally supposed to have the day off, but Friday’s 19-inning affair forced Girardi to do some lineup juggling. A-Rod batted cleanup and played first for the first time and, because he’s a magnet for incident, immediately became a large part of the story.
The first fair ball of the game — naturally — went to him and he fielded it cleanly. But in the second inning, he dropped a throw from Headley, and the error led to an unearned run.
“Just a ball that should be caught, 10 out of 10,” Rodriguez said. He bemoaned costing starter Adam Warren (0-1) more pitches and the beleaguered bullpen, which threw 13.2 innings Friday, could’ve used a longer outing from Warren, who allowed two runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings, throwing a career-high 98 pitches.
In the eighth, Rodriguez could not keep his foot on the bag when Headley’s throw tailed away. Umpires originally ruled it an out, but the Red Sox challenged the call and it was overturned and Brock Holt later hit a three-run double, upping Boston’s lead to 8-1.
In all, Rodriguez touched the ball at least 18 times during the game. “My head is spinning,” he admitted. But he was far from the only Yankee with defensive issues. The Sox scored four unearned runs.
Catcher John Ryan Murphy had a passed ball for the second straight game and also made a throwing error. Headley was charged with a throwing error on the play that was reviewed.
Brett Gardner seemed to have a shot to catch Daniel Nava’s double in the second inning that scored a run. It was a tough play, but the ball hit his glove and he couldn’t snare it. And Garrett Jones perhaps should’ve caught Holt’s double to right in the eighth. After the throw in was cut off by Didi Gregorius, Gregorius did not see that he might have had a play at the plate on Ryan Hanigan. No one yelled to him, apparently, either.
“Gardy turned — I don’t know if he lost it a little bit when he turned, but he turned,” Girardi said. “And Jonesy, I thought Jonesy had a bead on his. We’re used to making those plays and for whatever reason this first week, we haven’t.”
Asked about Gregorius holding the ball, Girardi said, “I don’t know. Obviously, he didn’t think he had a chance at home. People have to communicate and let you know and you have to peek and do the things that you’re supposed to do.
“I still believe that our defense is going to be a strength of ours. But we haven’t shown it yet.”