Yankees’ Goldschmidt drives Rockies star to desperate act, glove takes blame

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What began as a steady back-and-forth ballgame turned into a Yankees blowout — and ended in one of the most desperate moments of the 2025 season. The New York Yankees erupted for a season-high 21 hits and 13 runs against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, fueled by Paul Goldschmidt’s vintage performance and capped by a baffling glove-flinging moment from Rockies second baseman Adael Amador.

After frustratingly dropping Friday’s opener to MLB’s worst team, the Yankees responded with fury. Behind Goldschmidt’s three-hit day and a relentless offensive assault, New York thumped the Rockies 13-1 to improve to 31-20 on the year. But it wasn’t just the scoreboard that drew attention — it was the desperation Colorado showed under pressure, embodied in one defender’s desperate lunge that sent his glove airborne.

Goldschmidt sparks the fire

Veteran slugger Paul Goldschmidt, who has tormented left-handed pitching all season, was slotted atop the Yankees’ lineup against Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland. Entering the game batting .538 against lefties in 2025, Goldschmidt wasted no time reasserting his dominance. He collected hits in each of his first two at-bats, raising his average against left-handers into the .560s.

“We had a bunch of people on base early,” Goldschmidt said after the game. “Some double plays took us out of it, but we kept putting together good at-bats. Eventually, we knew the big inning could come.”

It came, all right — in the fifth. Goldschmidt’s three-hit performance and calming presence fueled a fifth-inning outburst as New York collected a season-best 21 hits during a 13-1 demolition of Colorado. His plate discipline wasn’t merely productive. It became contagious throughout the lineup.

He singled during the first inning. Another single followed in the third frame. By the fifth inning, his average against southpaws had climbed into the .560s.

“We had a bunch of people on base early,” Goldschmidt explained. “Some double plays took us out of it, but we kept putting together good at-bats. Eventually, we knew the big inning could come.”

For one exasperated Rockies defender, the onslaught proved unbearable.

The fifth-inning Yankees avalanche

Tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Yankees unleashed a devastating offensive barrage. Oswald Peraza opened the floodgates with what manager Aaron Boone called the “hit of the game” — a go-ahead RBI double that cracked the tie and rattled Colorado’s composure.

From there, the Yankees lineup unloaded. Hit after hit poured in, including a second Goldschmidt single that brought in yet another run. At that point, seven runs had crossed the plate, and the Rockies defense began to unravel.

Then came the moment that will live in glove-throwing infamy.

Glove in the air, questions on the Ground

As Goldschmidt lined a hard single into right-center, Adael Amador, overwhelmed by the moment, leapt — and in doing so, lost control of his glove, which sailed high into the air in a surreal display of desperation. The ball found grass. The glove found headlines.

After the game, Amador explained to The Denver Post via a translator: “I didn’t have the glove tight on my hand. The glove kind of keeps falling. It always falls. I didn’t have it tight and I jumped up. When I jumped up, the glove slipped off.”

Though it looked bizarre, Amador insisted it was accidental — not a deliberate attempt to interfere with the play. “Yes, I know it would have been a triple if it hit the ball,” he told second base umpire Jansen Visconti, acknowledging the rule with a bit of gallows humor.

Rockies admit, quietly

Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer wasn’t immediately sure what to make of the scene.

“I haven’t talked to him about that yet,” Schaeffer said. “I’m not quite sure what that was. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Even Amador’s double-play partner Ezequiel Tovar was caught off guard.

“I was like, ‘Hey, did you do that on purpose?’” Tovar said. “He told me no, the glove just kind of fell out. It was not something that he was trying to do or planning. Others talked to him about it. It was a mistake.”

To his credit, Amador stayed in the game and even made a clean diving stop later. But the glove incident overshadowed any redemption attempts.

Goldschmidt’s continued resurgence

The Yankees‘ offseason acquisition of Goldschmidt drew skepticism about whether the aging star possessed enough remaining talent to impact winning. His 2024 St. Louis campaign showed consistency without the MVP-caliber explosiveness of previous seasons.

The Bronx is now witnessing vintage Goldschmidt magic.

Saturday’s excellence lifted Goldschmidt’s batting average to .344 — third-highest in Major League Baseball. His on-base percentage approaches .400. More crucially, he’s delivered during pivotal moments while providing both offensive production and veteran leadership to a Yankees lineup requiring both qualities.

During 2024, he hit .295 against lefties with a .838 OPS — evidence his swing remained perfectly calibrated for specific matchups. Then, Goldschmidt was reliable but no longer explosive. In 2025, he’s flipped the narrative, especially against left-handed pitching where he owns one of the league’s most dangerous splits.

“He’s been everything we hoped for,” Boone said. “Professional, consistent, and brings a spark when we need it.”

Veteran leadership on display

While Goldschmidt’s bat has spoken loudly, his clubhouse presence has proven equally valuable. For developing players like Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, the chance to observe a former MVP has enhanced their plate approach significantly.

One Yankees veteran observed earlier this season that Goldschmidt is always working, noting that while he doesn’t talk much, players learn something every day by watching how he prepares.

“He doesn’t talk much,” he said, “but you learn something every day just watching how he works.”

His professional demeanor shone Saturday — never rattled, never attempting heroics. Just consistent quality at-bat after quality at-bat.

On an afternoon when nearly every Yankees hitter recorded multiple hits, Goldschmidt’s early composure established the foundation.

Yankees regain their footing

The victory improved New York to 31-20 while avoiding the humiliation of consecutive losses to a Rockies squad still pursuing its 10th victory this year. Max Fried contributed another Cy Young-worthy outing, fanning seven across 7.1 innings of one-run baseball, while the lineup awakened from its brief offensive hibernation.

At the center of everything stood Goldschmidt — the veteran maintaining the same smooth swing, identical calm presence, and proven ability to alter game outcomes.

Goldschmidt acknowledged the team hadn’t scored much in recent games but emphasized the importance of staying patient, taking quality at-bats, and trusting that offensive production would return.

Saturday proved his patience philosophy works — in spectacular, glove-launching fashion.

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