Paul Goldschmidt has done a lot in what’s been a 15-year career in the majors, but Sunday’s pinch-running appearance was a first for him — and he made it worthwhile.
Goldschmidt, sitting for a second straight game as Aaron Boone tries to find playing time for the team’s left-handed hitters versus righty starters, replaced Giancarlo Stanton following Stanton’s single in the bottom of the eighth of a 4-2 win over Baltimore.
The 37-year-old came all the way around to score from first on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s one-out double, which put the Yankees up for the first time.
Goldschmidt, known as an excellent baserunner despite his age and not being especially fast, just slid in under the tag after third base coach Luis Rojas sent him.
“I didn’t know where the ball was,’’ Goldschmidt said. “I was trying to run as fast as I could.”
Boone was impressed Goldschmidt got there and also noted his appreciation that the veteran player — who’s having an excellent bounce-back season in his first year with the Yankees — has been understanding of getting more days off than he’s accustomed to while the manager looks to put the lefty-swinging Ben Rice at first on occasion.
“This is a guy in his late 30s, probably going to the Hall of Fame, he isn’t playing [Sunday] and he’s probably gonna go to the All-Star Game and he’s willing to do that,’’ Boone said of Goldschmidt pinch-running. “That’s humility. That is who he is.”
Prior to the game, Boone noted the challenge of deciding who to sit when.
“For the most part, they’re bought in,’’ Boone said. “They’re all good players, playing well and deserve to play. We understand it’s not a perfect scenario. The thought of winning comes first.”
That decision-making also led to Anthony Volpe starting the game on the bench — as Boone had planned — even after he had three hits on Saturday to snap an 0-for-25 skid.
Boone acknowledged he “did consider” putting Volpe in the lineup, but decided against it, saying, “I felt like [Saturday] he was still feeling for it, at-bat wise,’’ Boone said. “He got fortunate bounces and smoked a homer.”
Volpe ended up entering the game in the top of the eighth after Jasson Domínguez pinch-hit for Oswald Peraza in the bottom of the seventh. He didn’t get an at-bat.
Devin Williams picked up his 10th save on the season in another step toward potentially erasing his ugly start to the year.
In his last eight appearances since being put back in the closer role due to Luke Weaver’s hamstring strain, Williams has given up just one run on five hits while walking none and fanning 11.
Rice had three hits, his second-straight multi-hit game.
After a rough stretch, Rice is 7-for-16 with three extra-base hits over his last five games.
Aaron Judge reached base multiple times again Sunday with a single and a walk, but he is 6-for-30 with just a pair of extra-base hits and 16 strikeouts in his last nine games. His OPS has dropped to 1.195, the lowest it’s been since April 21.
