All season long, Yankee fans have waited for Alex Rodriguez to return to the form that made him the most feared hitter in the American League.
Their patience has worn thin. And last night, they made sure he knew it.
While the Yankees rebounded from their dreadful 22-0 loss with a 5-3 win last night over the Indians at the Stadium, Rodriguez continued to flail. The third baseman went 0-for-3 and was booed noisily after striking out in both the first and sixth innings.
Although the night ended well for the Yankees, as they kept their division lead at 3½ games over the Red Sox, the same could not be said for A-Rod and the reception he received from the faithful.
“They show the same passion I do,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t have a problem with [the booing]. I have to do better.”
That shouldn’t be difficult. While the former league MVP has slugged 32 home runs, his lack of production in clutch situations continued last night.
His first-inning strikeout came with runners on second and third, but perhaps the most surprising moment came in the seventh. That’s when the Indians decided to intentionally walk Gary Sheffield with one out and Bernie Williams on second base to bring up A-Rod with two men on. He responded by lofting a harmless fly ball to center, and the Yankees failed to score in the inning.
Rodriguez insists that despite the season’s late date, he will turn things around before the end of the year.
“Those are situations that I like to be in,” Rodriguez said, insisting that the outcome of a future similar scenario would be different. “Someone will pay. Absolutely.”
So far, few have. Rodriguez continues to lunge at pitches and often look uncomfortable at the plate- especially for someone who was brought to the Bronx to ensure another championship.
Instead, he ensured nothing. By leaving runners on twice last night, Rodriguez’s batting average with runners in scoring position fell to an anemic .210 (26-for-124). The Yankees last expected that kind of production from the hot corner when Charlie Hayes was there.
A-Rod admitted that he and his teammates felt George Steinbrenner’s presence as he attended last night’s win.
“It was like having the principal watch over your class,” A-Rod said. “But the team responded well.”
But once again, Rodriguez did not.
