Though he had himself a memorable first weekend with the team, we’d like to officially welcome Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees. His heroics on Wednesday notched the team its second series win of the season against the NL champs.
After Carlos Rodón had to grind through another start and the Yankees’ bats were relatively weak, this rubber match went to extras. Don’t remind us how these scenarios unfolded last season, please.
The first batter up was Alex Verdugo. The first pitch he saw was the fastball. The first fastball he saw was a monster home run that gave the Yankees’ a 4-2 lead (and the eventual 6-5 victory).
Before this clutch showing, Verdugo was just 3-for-24 to start the season, with the only notable at-bat so far being the game-winning sac fly on Opening Day in Houston. He also locked down the series sweep over the Astros with a diving catch, but he’s yet to have a true “moment.”
Well, here it is. And he added in a fairly epic pimp job for good measure.
Before that, the Yankees’ only runs on the afternoon came in the form of Aaron Judge’s first blast of the season. Otherwise, the Yankees have largely felt powerless (bomb-wise) to begin 2024. That’ll come around eventually, and hopefully Verdugo’s injection of energy can kickstart a surge.
Predictably, though, the Yankees blew it in the bottom half of the inning. The D-backs tied it on an error and an RBI infield single.
In the top of the 11th, though, the Yankees flipped the script again. A Gleyber Torres single followed by a balk gave New York the lead again. Then Judge belted an RBI double to provide insurance.
As the extra innings lagged on, the broadcast kept picking up on “Let’s Go Yankees!” chants from the Chase Field crowd. There were loud cheers for Judge’s first homer of the season. A giant “Let’s Go Volpe” chant broke out when the young slugger was up in a big spot, too, which felt like it meant double, given the shortstop’s odd throw one inning prior that helped extend the game. They completely took over the visiting stadium.
The result? A series win. An off day on Thursday. The home opener on Friday against the Blue Jays. Kick your feet up, Yankees fans. You did your job from home, and your fellow compatriots helped out on the road.
