Joey Gallo's woes continue with pinch-hit strikeout in Subway Series opener
Pinch-hitter Joey Gallo of the Yankees strikes out to end the eighth inning against the Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It turns out you can predict baseball.
When Aaron Boone sent up Joey Gallo to pinch hit against Mets closer Edwin Diaz as the potential tying run in the eighth inning on Tuesday night, the odds Gallo would strike out . . .
Well, you probably couldn’t have gotten a bet down in Las Vegas because the bookies would have taken that at-bat off the board.
Gallo swung through a 2-and-2 slider to end the inning and the Mets went on to take the Subway Series opener, 6-3.
It was Gallo’s 103rd strikeout in his 270th plate appearance (38.1 percent). Diaz, who struck out the side in the ninth to notch his 22nd save, had struck out 81 of 157 batters (51.6 percent) this season going into Wednesday’s two-game series finale at Citi Field.
Was Boone’s logic in using the lefty-swinging Gallo to hit for righthanded Isiah Kiner-Falefa a hope that Gallo would hit a game-tying two-run homer because the Yankees were down 5-3 and righthander Adam Ottavino had just walked Aaron Hicks?
Kiner-Falefa, who had two hits to extend a hitting streak to 13 games, had not homered this season. Gallo, who was batting .161 going into Wednesday, had hit 12 homers.
You’d think that would be the reason, but that’s not what Boone pointed to first in puzzling postgame comments.
“You’ve got Ottavino in there, who’s obviously a tough righty,” Boone said. “It’s not about getting a hit in that situation, but getting on. We’re up against it there with two outs. Taking a shot at a long one there. That’s the Ottavino component, and then forcing their hand to at least get the closer in there for a four-out [save] situation. It’s not tying run on second. We need two runs. Man on first. Otto’s pretty tough against righties. To me it’s an on-base situation. I felt like Joey gives you a shot at that.”
Ottavino had already thrown 1 2/3 innings. Mets manager Buck Showalter said he would have left in Ottavino to face Kiner-Falefa.
But the All-Star Diaz came in and threw two quick strikes before a pair of balls. The final pitch was a 93-mile per hour slider that Gallo swung through.
Gallo was not in the lineup for the third time in four games on Wednesday with righthander Max Scherzer starting for the Mets.
“He didn’t [start on Tuesday],” Boone said. “Is it fair to run him back out there for the Scherzer game? I expect him to probably be in there tomorrow.”
The Yankees open a four-game series against Kansas City on Thursday. The trade deadline is Tuesday, and despite his struggles there are at least three teams who have shown interest in obtaining Gallo as a change-of-scenery player.
Despite leaving him out of the lineup, Boone gave Gallo a full-throated endorsement on Wednesday (perhaps for his next team).
Since being acquired from Texas last July 29, Gallo was batting .160 with 25 home runs and 191 strikeouts in 498 plate appearances as a Yankee.
“I think it’s been tough for Joey. No question about it,” Boone said. “It’s been a tough road for him since coming over here where he hasn’t found that traction. There’s no question in my mind that there’s still great baseball ahead for him, whether that’s immediately or in the years to come. He’s really talented and really cares and works.”
Asked if he thought Gallo’s problems were mechanical or in his head, Boone said: “I think it’s been a little bit of a combination where he’s probably trying to work on some things mechanically and that haven’t necessarily totally clicked yet. I also think he’s bearing the brunt of the struggle here. I think he’s worn that, carried thar burden. You want to do well. You want to perform . . . As I try and remind him every now and then, he has all the equipment to still be great at this. He’s at an age (28) where he can still be great at this.”
Asked if he thought Gallo just can’t cut it in New York, Boone said: “I don’t know. I just know it’s been a struggle and I feel like it has weighed on him and he’s carried that around.”
With Erik Boland
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
