DIDI TAKES IT IN STRIDE
Laughs off Jeter chant after another miscue
Didi Gregorius knew there would be challenges in being the first Yankees shortstop after Derek Jeter. The scrutiny has been ridiculous, but he’s taking it in stride.
The Yankees were up 10 runs in the eighth inning when Gregorius fielded shane Victorino’s grounder with two on and one out and couldn’t get the ball out to deliver it in time to Stephen Drew covering second for the force. Many in the crowd went to the old “Der-ek Jet-er!” chants.
“I’ve been hearing that a lot,” he said. “I just laugh. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
TOUGH 200
Brian McCann led off the bottom of the eighth with a home run just over the wall in right field, his 200th career round-tripper.
“It’s something I didn’t think I’d get to when I first started my career. I’m happy about it,” McCann said. “I knew I had 199, but once I hit it, I didn’t know until I came into the dugout.… I went up underneath and everyone was saying congratulations and it hit me that I had had 199.”
Chris Young knew the ball would be important to McCann and tracked it down. First he got a ball and had McCann sign it. Then he went to the outfield between innings looking for a quick negotiation. The trouble was the ball skipped off a seat and up the section and Young wasn’t able to immediately locate the woman who had it.
“I worked with the fans. It was like, six or seven fans working with me to find whoever retrieved the ball,” he said. “It was just a mad hustle. I tried to make it happen as fast as possible.”
When he found the ball, the switch was easy. And he got it done before the next half inning started.
“Easy negotiation, tough to find the ball,” he said. “You feel like a secret agent, trying to go through multiple people to get to the source. It worked out fast enough.”
NOT TWO BAD
Carlos Beltran came into the game batting .100 after going 2-for-20 in the first five games. He fared better Sunday going 2-for-4 and scoring two runs. Before the game Joe Girardi did not think the poor start was related to his off-season elbow surgery and said his bat speed didn’t look w rong.
Beltran thought his two-hit night had better “feel.”
“I feel a lot better at the plate. The first couple games, I felt I’ve been searching: behind on the fastball and out front on breaking pitches,” he said. “Today I was aggressive and put the ball in play. When you do that, get the results, it starts developing into confidence.”
BOO BIRDS
Alex Rodriguez will play his first road game since his seasonlong suspension and is prepared for what the Baltimore fans will bring out.
“It won’t be bad at all. Nothing will compare to the year (2001). I don’t think people remember. That was rough,” he said. “That was right after I signed my contract. It’s business as usual. We’re the New York Yankees: we do our job at home, we get cheered; we go on the road, we get booed.”… Lefthander Matt Tracy was designated for assignment the day after making his major league debut.