TORONTO — Marcus Stroman came to the Yankees as a fiercely competitive player.
For the first time this season, that frustration bubbled to the surface on the field and in the dugout Friday night, when he was upset that Gleyber Torres didn’t turn a potential double play soon enough.
But the situation quickly subsided, as the Yankees jumped out to a lead in the next inning and went on to a big win over the Blue Jays, with manager Aaron Boone attributing part of the reason to the “closeness” of the clubhouse.
“I never want to be in a situation where I’m expressing my dissatisfaction with a player or with a teammate,” Boone said Saturday at Rogers Centre before the Yankees’ brutal 9-3 loss. “But I think the 162 [games]We’re a family, and stuff like that happens. One of the reasons you’re able to deal with stuff like that and deal with it well is the strength of that room and the closeness of these people. I don’t think anybody was too upset.
“It was a passionate game. I thought Sutro handled it really well right after and after. We’re in good shape. We play with a lot of goals and sometimes that spills over on some days. When you have a strong room, you can handle those things.”
Stroman said after the game that he’d reached out to Torres and everyone else he needed to reach out to.
He was the first to greet Torres after he yelled on the mound (he appeared to say “Throw the damn ball”) and some more yelling in the dugout after Torres hit a two-run home run.
The Yankees have encouraged Stroman to be himself, including showing his emotions, since he signed with the team in January.
But Boone praised the way the right-hander handled the situation on Friday, including being the first to come out of the dugout to celebrate after Torres hit the home run.
“That’s just the way he is,” Boone said. “And that’s the way he’s been a teammate ever since he got here. We love him and I know he loves being a part of this team. That’s just who he is. Again, there were moments of emotion, but that’s not going to break the bond of this team.”
It took 89 at-bats, but DJ LeMahieu finally hit his first extra-base hit of the season on Friday night, and the Yankees are hoping it’s a sign of things to come.
The veteran infielder started the year with 13 hits in 75 at-bats (.173 batting average) and 13 singles before smashing a one-run double to left field.
But in Saturday’s loss, he was hitless in three at-bats and walked just one.
“Hopefully we can continue to build on that with him,” Boone said. “Just keep getting quality, tough at-bats and see where it takes us.”
Nick Burdy (right hip inflammation) is scheduled to take batting practice on Sunday in Tampa. He won’t be eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list until late July.
Jamai Jones, who has seen increased playing time recently due to injury, played as a designated hitter on Friday night and recorded a career-high three hits.
Jones, who did not play Saturday, entered the game with 8 hits in 31 at-bats (.258 batting average) and an OPS of .762.
“In terms of energy givers and energy takers, he’s definitely an energy giver,” Boone said. “I think that’s a quality you absolutely need in all your teammates, but especially in your role players and guys coming off the bench.”
“He knows the strike zone well, he has power in the bat and he can pop the ball the other way. It’s good to see him take advantage of the opportunities he gets.”
