Yankees manager Aaron Boone inserted Matt Carpenter into the leadoff spot Thursday afternoon to spread out his left-handed hitters. The newcomer then offered a gentle reminder to Boone that he used to be pretty good at batting first.
Carpenter took Angels star Shohei Ohtani deep leading off the first inning after fouling off five pitches with two strikes, a tone-setter in the Yankees’ 6-1 win in the first game of a split-admission doubleheader in The Bronx. The Bombers won the second game 2-1 on the strength of Jameson Taillon’s gem, and Anthony Rizzo’s clutch two-run game-winning single in the eighth.
“It was awesome,” Boone said. “It was just a really good at-bat where he was able to see a lot [of pitches], everyone was able to see a lot. It set a good tone for us.”
Carpenter had never faced Ohtani before. His plan was to stay on his fastball and foul off his off-speed pitches. Based on watching Ohtani’s previous starts, Carpenter said he figured he would get a cut fastball if the count went full. On the first 3-2 pitch, he fouled it off. On the next one, he got the cutter over the middle of the plate and crushed a 410-foot homer.
Matt Carpenter crushes a first-inning home run. Corey Sipkin“I spent a lot of my career in the leadoff spot and took a lot of pride in starting games off with long at-bats,” said the 36-year-old Carpenter, the former Cardinal who spent the start of the year with the Rangers’ Triple-A team. “It doesn’t have to end up with a hit, certainly doesn’t have to end up with a home run. I feel like as a leadoff hitter, if you can go up there and have a good six-pitch, seven-pitch at-bat — today was 11 — it just really sets the tone.
“The opposing pitcher obviously doesn’t want that. You’re letting him know that we’re coming here to fight and it’s not going to be an easy day for you.”
The homer, on the 11th pitch Carpenter saw from Ohtani, was the 25th leadoff homer of his career and the first since 2019. He also became the third Yankee to go yard with each of his first three hits for the franchise, joining Kyle Higashioka (2018) and Alonso Soriano (1999-2000).
“I’d like to mix in a single or something. That would be nice,” Carpenter joked. “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought much about it. Just getting into the box, trying to compete, and having good at bats. I’ve gotten some good swings off here to start. I want to keep riding it out.”
When Carpenter joined the Yankees a week ago, he joked that he would help load equipment on the plane if they asked. He brought that up again on Thursday, and insisted he meant it.
Carpenter probably doesn’t have to worry about menial labor if he continues to hit like this.
The Yankees improved to 17-4 in their last 21 home games and their 20-7 mark in The Bronx is the best home record in baseball.
Clay Holmes earned his seventh save and extended his scoreless streak to 25 innings spanning 23 outings with a scoreless ninth in the nightcap.
He is getting close to the club record for consecutive scoreless innings, held by David Robertson, with 26 ¹/₃ innings from 2011-12.
The Yankees swept the Angels at the Stadium for the first time since a four-game sweep June 6-9, 2016. … Outfielder Estevan Florial, the 27th man for the doubleheader, returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Reliever David McKay was optioned to Triple-A as well.
Thursday was the second annual Lou Gehrig Day across baseball as the sport remembered the legendary Yankees first baseman and his battle against ALS while raising awareness of the disease.
Aaron Judge wore a pair of cleats to honor Gehrig, with a photo of the Hall of Famer and part of his iconic speech from July 4, 1939. Maria Cooper Janis, the daughter of late actor Gary Cooper, who portrayed Gehrig in the film, “Pride of the Yankees,” threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 2.
Around MLB, players and umpires wore red 4-ALS bands. The Yankees also hosted several people living with ALS, including family and friends of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder Pat Quinn.
