HOUSTON — If Jon Barty had gotten here with enough time to take a deep breath, Oswaldo Cabrera might not have been in the Yankees’ lineup Thursday.
However, Berti, who was acquired in a trade from the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon to strengthen the Yankees’ infield, arrived at the team hotel at 2 a.m. Thursday.
So manager Aaron Boone decided to give Berti some peace of mind and instead start Cabrera at third base against Astros left-hander Framber Valles.
He helped the Yankees win the opening game.
After scoring on a single off Valdez in the fifth inning, Cabrera hit a game-tying home run off reliever Rafael Montero in the sixth inning, giving the Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
“Oswald has been working hard the last few weeks this spring to do well here, so he was really fired up,” Boone said.
Cabrera started at third base in place of DJ LeMahieu, but LeMahieu was placed on injured reserve to begin the season and does not yet have a clear timetable for his return.
The Yankees will try to use the combination of Cabrera and Berti to hold down the fort in his absence, but Cabrera insisted on Thursday how he can contribute.
Cabrera, a switch-hitter, will be batting left-handed against several left-handed pitchers this season. But he started Thursday with the difficult task of hitting right-handed against tough left-handed Valdez.
After striking out in his first at-bat, Cabrera gave momentum to a three-run rally in the fifth inning with an infield hit over center from Valdez.
Then, in the 6th inning, he hit Montero with a deep inside slider to tie the game.
The home run was reminiscent of the swing Cabrera made late in the 2022 season when he arrived in the big leagues, the type that was all too often lacking in a grueling 2023.
The key, Cabrera said, is to not try to hit a home run.
“That’s what I’m working on right now: not trying to be a power hitter,” he said. “I have all the power hitters around me, so right now I’m just thinking about putting the ball in.” [play] And please try to communicate effectively. ”
Cabrera performed well after a tough start offensively in spring training.
Still, the Yankees traded Berti on Wednesday to better protect themselves without LeMahieu, giving the former Marlin a chance to start at No. 3 ahead of Cabrera.
For now, Cabrera isn’t resting on his home run laurels.
“I felt that swing I wanted to make.” [have] Now,” Cabrera said. “It’s already happened. Today’s game is over and we have to focus on the game. [Friday]”
