While much of the pregame chatter about Jasson Dominguez centered around his fielding, it was the young outfielder’s bat that made all the noise in the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night in The Bronx.
Rather than the ball finding him in left, it was the moment that found Dominguez. After singling in each of his first two trips to the plate, the opportunity to deliver the big hit in the clutch fell to him with the bases loaded and two down in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Yanks trailing by one.
“Really important moment in the game,” Dominguez said. “I thought about just trying to get a good pitch, something out over the plate and get a good swing at it.”
After taking a good slider for a strike from left-hander Angel Zerpa, Dominguez took a ball and fouled off another slider against the Royals reliever. Dominguez then got a 96 mph fastball up and on the inside corner and turned on it for a bases-clearing double to give the Yankees a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“Just glad that he could get some results there in a big spot, obviously,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He never seems panicked or rushed, and that’s one of the things that you always liked about him. So you know the situation’s not too big for him.”
Dominguez entered the night with just one hit in 20 at-bats against lefties so far this year. “I’ve been having a little bit of struggle lately from the right side, but lately I feel like I’ve done some improvement.”
The manager said the big knock can boost his confidence, but “as much as anything, it’s an experience thing for him.”
“He hasn’t had a lot of right-handed at-bats,” Boone said. “I think over time that will improve, and I think he’ll be productive from that side.”
At the plate, he finished 3-for-3 (with three RBI) on balls that were hit 95.1, 100.5, and 106.4 mph.
Of course, for the second straight night, Dominguez came out of the game with the Yanks ahead. But on Tuesday night, circumstances were a bit different as Boone said the young left fielder “lost his contacts” while running the bases on his three-run double in the previous half inning. Dominguez wasn’t sure what happened but believes it occurred when he knocked his helmet into his face on his backswing.
And, sometimes, for a manager, fortune shines on you. Even if the defensive switch was made out of necessity – Dominguez not being able to see as opposed to not being trusted in later innings – the addition of Trent Grisham in center (moving Cody Bellinger over to left) paid off big time.
After Max Fried issued a leadoff walk, MJ Melendez, who homered in the third, smoked an 0-1 sinker (108.6 mph off the bat) to center field.
Fortunately, Grisham got a great jump on the ball and was able to track it down for an over-the-shoulder catch and a 396-foot out to preserve the 4-2 lead rather than allowing a potential RBI triple.
Trent Grisham chases it down! pic.twitter.com/Zpx213Dhzr
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It is likely that had Dominguez not lost his contacts, he would have remained in the game – he was 3-for-3, after all, and before the game, Boone said he was comfortable keeping the 22-year-old in to play left field rather than use a defensive replacement to help protect a lead.
“It’s just kinda how I’ve wanted to do it and breaking him in and in understanding our roster and some of the strengths of our roster,” the manager said in talking about his late-game decisions before first pitch. “I think JD is gonna turn into a really, really good one out there and I think he’s getting there day after day and we’re seeing [it].”
Boone added that he’s seen “over the last month, back-end of spring training into the early part of this year, [his] route efficiency, reacting properly to the ball is all improving.”
“I have no issue with him being out there now,” the manager continued. “It’s just on the days I got Trent Grisham sitting over there with [Bellinger]. I’m gonna take advantage of our roster and try and bring [Dominguez] along in the best way possible. But excited with the way he keeps moving the needle.”
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