Yankees' Isiah Kiner-Falefa pulls off rare straight steal of home
New York Yankees' Isiah Kiner-Falefa steals home against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Isiah Kiner-Falefa saw his opportunity and he took it.
The Yankees utility man provided the Yankees with their third – and final – run of Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the Mets with a straight steal of home in the seventh inning.
And Kiner-Falefa was shocked how easy it was.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Kiner-Falefa said. “I just couldn’t believe I did that in the big leagues, especially in this game. I wish the result today would have been different, but that was a cool moment for myself. But at the end of the day, it’s a tough loss.”
After reaching on a fielder’s choice – Josh Donaldson scored on the play for a 2-1 lead as Jeff McNeil’s relay throw trying to complete a 6-4-3 double play went well wide of first – Kiner-Falefa stole second. He took third on the same play as catcher Francisco Alvarez’s throw sailed into center, the Mets’ second error of the inning.
Mets manager Buck Showalter brought in lefty Brooks Raley to face Billy McKinney. Kiner-Falefa slowly inched his way down the line, and Raley, pitching from the windup, didn’t even give a cursory glance at the runner who, as he reached the halfway point, took off for home. Raley’s pitch didn’t come close to the plate – it nearly hit McKinney and then plate umpire Bill Miller on its way to the backstop – as Kiner-Falefa slid across the plate for a 3-1 lead.
Part of Kiner-Falefa’s surprise was that neither Raley nor Eduardo Escobar, the third baseman, looked at him as he strayed off the base further and further down the line.
“I was trying to force a balk at first,” Kiner-Falefa said. “I got halfway and he (Raley) didn’t acknowledge me, the third baseman didn’t acknowledge me and I just timed it up right before he made a move. I had already committed and the timing worked out perfectly and my instincts kind of just took over.”
He became the first Yankee to steal home since Didi Gregorius on Aug. 27, 2016 vs. Baltimore at the Stadium, part of a double steal (Starlin Castro stole second on the play). Showalter, then the Orioles manager, was on hand for that one, too.
It was the first straight steal of home by a Yankee since Jacoby Ellsbury on April 22, 2016 against the Rays, the play igniting the dugout in the moment.
“Clearly should have stayed in the stretch,” Raley said. “But he capitalized on a moment so give him credit for the high IQ there.”
“Outstanding,” said Gerrit Cole, who was mostly dominant over six innings in which he allowed one run, four hits and struck out six. “What a cool play to witness. My gosh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.”
But the play, exciting as it was, ultimately came in a losing cause, the Yankees undone by their 1-for-15 performance with runners in scoring position.
“The more we can put ourselves in that position, the better off we’ll be in the long run,” said Anthony Rizzo, who went 0-for-3 Wednesday and is now in a 6-for-52 slide, which has followed a mostly terrific first seven weeks of the season. “We just have to keep getting guys up there in that position and keep firing away.”
Nothing new on Judge
Aaron Judge, who is with the club at Citi Field, went on the injured list June 7 with a right big toe sprain but exactly a week later the Yankees did not have an update on his condition. No timeframe for his return and nothing on when they anticipate he’ll be able to resume baseball activities.
“It is an unknown right now about when he’s able to do things,” Boone said. “I think once that happens, it’ll happen quickly, but we’re not at that point yet.”
With David Lennon
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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