Jose Trevino, the Yankees’ catcher, had a roller coaster ride during his first-ever postseason game. However, the team’s 4-1 victory over the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALDS on Tuesday night in The Bronx highlighted his highs while overshadowing the lows.
It was like Jose Trevino was attempting to clear the decks for his first postseason game by doing everything he possibly could. But he sometimes gives in to jitters, such as a questionable move on the defensive.
Before he was traded to the Yankees, Jose Trevino played for four years for the Texas Rangers. He had never sniffed .500, much less the real baseball that the month of October is used to witness. If the 29-year-old had nerves, which he denied because he said he was just “super excited,” it might have been clear early on.
Will Brennan, who was batting for the Cleveland Guardians, was retired by Gerrit Cole with a slider down in the dirt in the top of the second inning. Jose Trevino had to complete the out by throwing to the first base, but his throw bounced, and Anthony Rizzo made a smooth pick in the dirt to save the situation.
After another inning had passed, Jose Trevino was unable to get a throw in a timely manner. Josh Naylor was up to bat for Cleveland and had runners on second and third with one out when he hit a sharp ground ball to Rizzo. After seeing Amed Rosario sprint from third base to home plate, the first baseman made the throw to Jose Trevino in order to end the inning. Rosario was sandwiched in the middle but was able to make it back to third safely.
Later Jose Trevino explained:
“When I looked up, Rosario’s head, chest, everything was coming to me. When I got the ball from Rizzo, I went to go tag him. By the time I looked up, he was going back already.”
Cole and Josh Donaldson ensured that the play would not cost them by fielding a grounder and then throwing home for the force out.
In the fifth inning of a game that was tied, Jose Trevino was able to redeem himself. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a hit that was drilled down the right-field line, but it was misplayed by Oscar Gonzalez of Cleveland, which allowed Kiner-Falefa to advance to the third base with one out.
Cal Quantrill of Cleveland was up 0-2 on Trevino, who was thinking, “Do my job, get that run in.”
He did his job by getting underneath a cutter and hitting a long sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed the go-ahead run to score and gave him his first RBI of the postseason. Jose Trevino and Kiner-Falefa, who had previously played together for the Rangers, helped the Yankees take a 2-1 lead in the game.
Jose Trevino, who went 0-for-2 in his playoff debut, is still looking for his first hit of the postseason, but he may have accomplished everything else he set out to do in his first appearance.
How do you rate Jose Trevino’s performance in ALDS Game 1?
