Runs were hard to come by in Thursday’s series finale between the Yankees and Royals.
With the score knotted at zero in the eighth inning, the Yankees needed a spark if they were to sweep the Royals in Kansas City. Would it come from Aaron Judge? Paul Goldschmidt? Anthony Volpe?
No, it was not-often-used Pablo Reyes, starting at second base on Thursday, who ignited the team and eventually scored the team’s lone run in their 1-0 win.
Leading off the inning against Lucas Erceg, one of the Royals’ best relievers, Reyes lined a single into right field. With two outs and Reyes on second after a Trent Grisham ground out and Ben Rice walk, Goldschmidt came up in what would be the difference-making at-bat. The former NL MVP smoked a liner at first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, but the ball bounced off his glove and into shallow right field.
Pasquantino retrieved the ball and threw it to first to a covering Erceg, but Goldschmidt beat out the throw. Reyes, who was rounding third, stumbled and took a few steps back to third before changing directions and heading home. Erceg threw home in time to catcher Freddy Fermin, but the backstop lost the ball as he went for the tag, allowing Reyes to slide in safely.
PABLO REYES COMES HOME WITH THE FIRST RUN!
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“We’ll take it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the play after the game. “We only scored one run tonight. I thought we had a lot of good at-bats. Number of guys in the lineup stung the ball; we just couldn’t break through. Some good at-bats off Erceg [in that inning] to punch through.
“There’s a rain delay, it’s getaway night. To grab a run right there, especially Pablo. Him starting it off, leadoff hit and coming around to score. We’re all excited for him.”
“There’s two outs, so in my mind, just do anything I can to score,” Reyes said of the play via an interpreter. “I lost my balance there and at the same time, I heard [third base coach] Luis Rojas telling me, ‘keep going, keep going.’ I noticed there was hesitation on the pitcher, and just kept going and did the best I could there.”
Reyes has not seen much playing time this year, appearing in just 24 games and getting 31 at-bats. Entering Thursday’s game, the 31-year-old was 5-for-28 (.179) with two RBI. He’s the utility infielder/outfielder who allows Boone to maneuver players in late-game situations.
So when he got the rare start, Reyes said it helps that he stays ready for these opportunities.
“I just try to keep my head up, working hard and just get ready for the opportunity and try to enjoy,” Reyes said. “When I get the opportunity, I try and enjoy it to help my teammates and try my best to win the game. That’s the only thing I can control. Working hard every day and when the opportunity came, I just try and take advantage of that and play the game the right way.”
Reyes admitted there was panic when he first stumbled around third base, and initially wanted to get back to third to make sure he didn’t run the team out of the inning but once he saw the play developing, he took his chance.
“Really happy for him. He’s a good player and he can swing the bat,” Boone said of Reyes. “He hasn’t gotten the opportunity just because guys have been healthy. I’ve leaned on [Oswald] Peraza as that backup in the infield. He’s capable of that. I felt good about him leading off that inning. He hasn’t had a lot to show for it offensively, but I believe in the bat. A really good at-bat off Erceg to start us off going the other way.
“He’s always ready, he’s always a supportive teammate. And just happy for him to have a really big hand in this one and he did some really good things on defense too.”
Aside from his chaotic scamper home in the eighth, Reyes made a really great play at second, attacking a slow chopper that got past the pitcher and shoveling the ball to first for the second out of the seventh inning. It was an all-around great day for Reyes who hasn’t had many chances to show the fans what he can do.
But that ability to impact a game with his bat, his glove and on the basepaths will give Boone and the Yankees organization a decision to make when Giancarlo Stanton returns from his rehab assignment.
As someone at the end of the bench, Reyes’ spot on the team is in jeopardy, but the Dominican Republic native isn’t thinking about that. He just focuses on what he can control and stays ready when his number is called.
“The way I look at it, that’s something I can’t control. Movements like that, that’s for the front office,” Reyes said. “For me, what I can control is come in here, prepare every day the right way, work hard every day and prepare for opportunities like this tonight.”
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