NEW YORK — Amid one of the darkest days in the Bronx, George Lombard Jr. supplied the only hope for the Yankees fans to cling.
The Yankees spent Wednesday night building chances they could not finish. Rain interrupted the rhythm, a section of Yankee Stadium briefly lost power, and the lineup kept putting men on base. None of it changed the result. St. Louis left the Bronx with a 3-1 victory and a series win.
New York reached base 13 times on four hits, eight walks and one hit batter. The Yankees went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. Their only run came when Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. The Yankees forced St. Louis to throw 188 pitches and repeatedly brought the tying run to the plate. They never produced the hit that could change the game.
For Yankees fans hoping for a postseason, the missed opportunities carried a familiar sting. But Lombard Jr., playing only his second MLB game, let them see a bright spot.
Lombard turns a loss into a defensive showcase
The 21-year-old rookie ranged behind second base in the third inning, reached a 105.5 mph one-hop liner off JJ Wetherholt and completed the play with a strong throw to first. The ball appeared headed through the middle before Lombard’s first step and body control erased the hit.
He made another clean play on César Prieto in the seventh. The sequence was less dramatic, but it reinforced the same point. Lombard looked comfortable moving in both directions and finishing throws from shortstop.
Warren had the closest view. He had already seen Lombard help turn two double plays during his debut one night earlier, then watched him steal a hit in the series finale.
“I made a joke with him earlier: ‘He’s everywhere,’” Warren said. “It’s nice to have that behind you.”
MLB Pipeline gives Lombard’s fielding a 65 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale, citing his quick hands, range and arm strength at shortstop.
Aaron Boone saw those traits translate against major league speed. The Yankees manager emphasized the quickness behind Lombard’s actions and the way he controls his 1.88-meter, 86-kilogram frame.
“He’s obviously very athletic and quick,” Boone said. “He’s catlike in a lot of ways.”
The bat supplies another early signal
Lombard’s glove owned the loudest moment, but his bat added another important piece.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ryan McMahon reached before Lombard lined a single into center. The hit moved McMahon into scoring position and gave the Yankees two runners on base at the same time for the first time all night.
The rookie did not sell out for another home run after launching one for his first major league hit Tuesday. He stayed through the ball and used the middle of the field.
The Yankees could not cash in. Trent Grisham grounded into a double play. Lombard later struck out against Ryne Stanek’s 99.8 mph fastball with two runners aboard in the eighth, a reminder that MLB pitching will test his offensive game.
Through two games, Lombard went 2-for-6 with a home run, one RBI and a walk. He became the 14th Yankees player to homer in his MLB debut and the third-youngest in franchise history to do it.
At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Lombard posted a .268/.405/.440 line with 16 doubles, six homers, 21 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 56 games. After returning from two sprained fingers on his left hand, he batted .377 over 14 games with a 1.081 OPS.
A shortstop opportunity becomes harder to ignore
The Yankees created a runway for Lombard by optioning Anthony Volpe to Triple-A and installing their top prospect at shortstop during an AL East race.
Two games cannot settle the position. They can change the terms of the evaluation.
Lombard has shown that the game’s speed does not overwhelm his defense. He has handled routine chances, completed difficult throws and turned balls headed toward the outfield into outs. That reliability can influence confidence across the Yankees infield.
The Yankees offensive test will take longer. Lombard must adjust as pitchers attack him with velocity inside the zone and breaking balls below it. His eighth-inning strikeout illustrated that challenge. His fifth-inning single showed the counterpoint.
The Yankees lost the game and series, but Lombard left the Stadium with a larger role than he had 48 hours earlier. The glove appears ready. The bat has produced impact and contact. The rookie has already made the next roster decision harder.
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