Aaron Boone went with Amed Rosario against a left-hander again in Thursday’s Game 3 of the wild-card series against the Red Sox.
This time, it paid off in a series-clinching 4-0 win at the Stadium.
Rosario’s RBI single with one out in the fourth gave the Yankees their first run and set them up for the win.
“I appreciate Aaron Boone,’’ Rosario said. “He believed in me and gave me an opportunity. It felt great.”
Acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, the righty-swinging Rosario started the first game of the series, with Boston ace Garrett Crochet on the mound. While he was fine at second base defensively, he went hitless in three at-bats versus the dominant Crochet before Boone removed him for Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s defense — a move Boone admitted later he regretted when Chisholm flied out against Aroldis Chapman.
On Friday, Rosario was in the lineup versus a lefty with far less experience as Boston went with rookie Connelly Early, who had made just four major league starts prior to Friday after beginning the season in Double-A.
After Early allowed a pair of hits through three impressive innings, he faltered in the fourth and it was Rosario who broke through to get the Yankees their first run.
It came after Cody Bellinger opened the inning with a hustle double to start the rally. Bellinger’s fly ball to shallow center dropped with center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, right fielder Wilyer Abreu and second baseman Romy Gonzalez all in pursuit.
Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk and Ben Rice whiffed to bring up Rosario in a scoreless game. He smoked a 108 mph grounder past a diving attempt by shortstop Trevor Story and into left to score Bellinger to spark what turned into a game-altering four-run inning.
Bellinger just beat a shaky throw from Jarren Duran — and the Yankees never looked back.
“It feels good,’’ Rosario said. “I tried to not put too much pressure on myself. The key for me was to look for a good, high pitch and put my best swing on it.”
He felt he just missed a pitch from Early in the second on a fly out to right and didn’t miss a changeup up in the zone in the fourth.
“I felt I had him in the second inning and if he threw me something up again, I’d be ready,’’ Rosario said.
And he was certain it would get through the infield.
“One hundred percent,’’ he said.
Prior to the game, Boone talked about his confidence in putting Rosario at third base — but mostly in his bat versus a lefty.
It’s why the Yankees picked up Rosario during a decidedly mixed trade deadline.
The former Met has developed into a consistent threat against lefties and serviceable in the infield.
He was replaced at third by Ryan McMahon to open the sixth, but the Yankees still had a four-run lead, thanks to Cam Schlittler’s outstanding performance.
The Yankees appear to be set to use Rosario against lefties in the playoffs, as they move on to play the Blue Jays in the ALDS.
He finished the season hitless in his last three games, plus the 0-fer in Game 1 of the wild-card series, so Thursday’s single was important in a number of ways.
Boone has talked about how he wants to use Rosario and the other right-handed utility player the Yankees picked up at the deadline — José Caballero — in the playoffs.
Toronto has a right-handed heavy rotation, but Rosario will certainly continue to play a role in the postseason.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
