PHOENIX — Alex Verdugo seemed to have been waiting for this moment, waiting a while before hitting the bases after hitting his first home run as a Yankee.
The outfielder hit a two-run home run on the first pitch of the 10th inning Wednesday to give the Yankees the lead, before defeating the Diamondbacks 6-5 in 11 innings at Chase Field.
As the ball flew into the right field seats, Verdugo watched it closely and absorbed it before coming off a bat flip and jogging around the bases.
“The first game against New York, in a big spot like that, it felt good,” said Verdugo, an Arizona native who was surrounded by loud cheers from family and friends. “It was one of those things that just felt good, seeing the boys excited and everyone barking at me.”
Verdugo, who labeled the Yankees “bastards” during a sweep against the Astros, sparking a howl, said he was just trying to hit the ball to the right side to get past an automatic runner. Instead, he started with three hits in 24 games, both of which came on one swing.
“That was a big moment,” Aaron Judge said. “He’s got a great swing, but he hasn’t been getting results lately. … I enjoyed it. I think the fans enjoyed it, and we definitely enjoyed it. I liked him. He’s a gamer.”
The Yankees’ bullpen has been pretty strong for the most part to start the season, but Ian Hamilton did something on Wednesday.
Hamilton relieved Carlos Rodon in the tied game and pitched 2/3 perfect innings, recording four strikeouts and a wipeout.
The right-hander, who could fill Michael King’s void as a multi-inning relief threat for the Yankees, has pitched 5/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in three games this season.
“It’s amazing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That was one of those games where they hadn’t seen much of him, and their swing showed it. A swing that’s like, ‘What’s that?’ It was a dominant performance and obviously a great bridge to get us to the back. He was great the whole trip. ”
The Diamondbacks lost Gerardo Perdomo to an injury while running the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning, forcing outfielder Jake McCarthy to pinch runner, forcing Ketel Marte to move to shortstop, and in the top of the 11th inning he was sent to the DH. lost.
As a result, in the bottom of the 11th inning, with two outs and runners on first and second base, the Yankees intentionally walked Gabriel Moreno and brought in pitcher Scott McGaugh.
Arizona had just scored a run to make it 6-5, but Boone said if the runner had stopped at third base and the bases were loaded, he would have walked and gotten to McGuff.
The plan worked, as Caleb Ferguson struck out McGaugh to end the game.
“You add a weird layer to the pitcher,” Boone said. “But I was totally convicted of doing it.”
Coach Boone wanted to give Judge a second DH on Wednesday, which meant Giancarlo Stanton was benched for the second time.
After an encouraging spring, Stanton got off to a slow start to the season, going 3-for-20 with one home run, 11 strikeouts, and one walk in five games.
“I think he’s healthy,” Boone said. “Life is there, the juice is there, it’s just a matter of moving him forward. Even when G is at his best, sometimes the outs aren’t always the prettiest. But he As long as he’s healthy and energetic, I feel like his bat speed is all where it needs to be as well, just being on time and not throwing pitches that can’t be missed when he’s making good swings. That’s all.”
Verdugo played center field for the first time this season in the final four innings of the game.
John Barty pinch-hit for center fielder Trent Grisham against left-hander Joe Mantiply in the top of the eighth inning, then remained in the game at third base.
Oswaldo Cabrera moved from third base to left field, and Verdugo shifted from left to center field, playing there for the first time since 2021.
