Greg Bird was a few feet away from playing hero Sunday. Instead, he was left to defend himself again with his season in free fall.
The Yankees first baseman, who has lost his starting job, had his bid for a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam come up just short in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 11-7 loss to the Tigers at Yankee Stadium. That’s the way it’s been going for Bird, who believes he has put in the work with nothing to show for it.
“I got it good,” Bird said. “I didn’t get it get it, but I got it good. I was jumping a little bit. But I came up a little short. What are you gonna do?”
Bird walked to the plate in the eighth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, pinch hitting for Adeiny Hechavarria with the Yankees trailing 8-5. Tigers pitcher Victor Alcantara delivered an 0-1 pitch down and in, which Bird got just off the handle and gave it a ride. The crowd roared, believing Bird had done it, but right fielder Victor Reyes settled under it with his back against the wall.
“I was really proud of him,” said bench coach Josh Bard, who served as manager for the suspended Aaron Boone. “He was prepared for the situation that we wanted him in. Good at-bat right there. Just kind of been the last couple weeks for him right there. The balls that he has hit hard have been caught. But encouraged by the at-bat.”
Over his last 22 games, Bird is 8-for-75 (.107) and has seen Luke Voit take over the bulk of the starts at first. Voit struck out three times Sunday — including with the bases loaded in the eighth, two batters before Bird — but he also singled and crushed a solo home run in the fourth inning.
“I could pout and be a distraction for the team but really just keep my head up and keep going,” Bird said. “That’s life, that’s baseball. It happens. I’ve been through it, so I’m not gonna put my head down and I’m not gonna pout.”
Voit is batting .333 with a 1.031 OPS, and Bird said he is rooting for his success — even if it keeps him on the bench.
“He’s doing great and it’s good for our team,” Bird said. “We have a goal here and that’s to win. He’s doing his job and I gotta do mine, whatever that is. … It’s a win-win. I’m here to win. That’s it.”
