Yankees’ J.C. Escarra shoulders burden for catcher’s interference
TORONTO — Yankees catchers are among the many finest within the recreation at stealing strikes and framing pitches.
However the potential draw back of that talent got here again to chunk them Tuesday for a second straight recreation as J.C. Escarra’s catcher’s interference loomed giant in a 12-5 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
With runners on first and second and one out in a tie recreation within the backside of the seventh, Luke Weaver thought he had a referred to as third strike on Addison Barger. However because the pinch hitter checked his swing on a full rely, his bat hit Escarra’s glove, which led the Blue Jays to name for a problem that they gained to load the bases in what turned a five-run rally.
“He wasn’t going to swing, however on the finish of the day, I shouldn’t have been too shut like that,” Escarra mentioned. “Going ahead, I’ve actually acquired to make it a precedence to not get too deep in there.”
To assist body pitches, Escarra — beginning a second straight recreation for Austin Wells as he recovered from invasive testing for an absence of circulation in his finger — will get near the plate and tries to catch the ball earlier than it will get too deep.
However that may generally result in interfering with swings, which he did on Tuesday for the third time this season, tying him for the foremost league lead.
“We’re extremely diligent on attempting to remove that as a lot as potential,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “It’s one thing we lean into each hitter — who’re we susceptible with, who’re we not — and we try this accordingly with our catchers. … It’s one thing we proceed to lean into and attempt to remove as a lot as we will whereas additionally attempting to leverage the strike zone as a lot as we will.”
That mentioned, the Yankees had one thing of a bone to choose on this one as a result of it got here on a test swing. Barger was not truly providing on the pitch, however hit Escarra’s glove, awarding him first base as a substitute of a strikeout wanting.
“Ought to most likely be one thing appeared into the place a test swing can’t get you beat like that,” Boone mentioned.
Weaver referred to as it a “complicated one” as a result of he didn’t see it in actual time and thought he had a giant second out.
“It’s fairly devastating, actually,” Weaver mentioned. “I really feel like that’s a extremely unlucky a part of our recreation and I don’t personally suppose that belongs in our recreation. I believe there must be some sort of discretion to it.
“I perceive that there are moments the place it’s very egregious and so they hit the ball on a full swing. You’re feeling such as you earned one thing there and it was taken from you. That’s out of my management at that time. However only a actual foolish factor to occur.”
