Martin in tune and having blast as Yankee
Russell Martin #55 of the New York Yankees celebrates his fourth inning three run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers with teammate Nick Swisher #33 at Yankee Stadium. (June 29, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
It is true, Russell Martin said, that his father would play the saxophone in the Montreal subways to help pay for his young son's baseball training. Martin, himself, is "not a sax man." But he hit a high note Wednesday night.
Martin's three-run, fourth-inning home run was the big blow in the Yankees' 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Right here in the Bronx, capital of bombers, Martin lashed an 0-and-2 pitch into the leftfield seats that "changed the complexion of the game," according to Yankee manager Joe Girardi.
A well-timed long ball for the fellow with a long name -- Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin. It turned a tie at 1 into a 4-1 Yankee lead, two batters after Nick Swisher had singled in the first Yankee run. It was Martin's 10th homer since signing with the Yankees as a free agent after six seasons with the Dodgers. And, despite recent struggles at the plate, Martin assured that he has settled into pinstripes quite comfortably.
"It was a little weird at first," Martin said of the change of venue. "I didn't really know many of the guys. But you know, just talking to them, getting to know them, I feel now like I've been here a while. It's a good clubhouse. These guys are real easy to get along with. The chemistry was there before I got here."
Martin replaced Jorge Posada, so his strong start bought him some time with teammates and fans. Especially because Posada was caught in the undertow of a hitting slump. (Now back in the swing of things, with hits in 13 of his last 14 starts, Posada added a solo homer Wednesday night.)
Martin, meanwhile, welcomed Wednesday night's blast after missing seven of eight games with a lower back strain, and getting only two hits in his first 12 at-bats this homestand. "I hadn't felt as explosive," he said. "Whether it was due to the back, maybe favoring something, I don't know. I just hadn't felt the same.
"It's definitely nice to contribute a little bit," he said. "But, I wasn't really thinking about it too much. As long as we're winning, it doesn't bother me as much. We're all playing well. If we were losing more, it would probably affect me a little more. When we win, it's never tiring. It's the tough ones you lose, they feel a little worse. Any time you win, I mean, you can play 16 innings, it's always easier."
And music to the Yankees' ears.
