Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez hasn't been himself of late.
Sanchez totaled 34 home runs and 77 RBI throughout the regular season, but has been relatively quiet in October. The 26-year-old's struggle at the plate continued following the Yankees' 4-1 loss in Game 3, where he was hitless for his second-straight game.
He's has been kept relatively silent against the Astros' lethal pitching staff consisting of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke. He's struck out six times while he faced Astros pitching. The only hit he registered came in Game 1 — a single to centerfield in the fifth inning.
Manager Aaron Boone, however, feels that it will take that one right pitch for his slugger to return to form in the best-of-seven series. Boone joined Mike Francesa on Wednesday to discuss his catcher's recent slide.
"I feel like he's gotten off a handful of good swings in the series but balls that he's put on the net," Boone said. "When the pitching is at this point in the season where it's as locked in and you're obviously facing high-end guys, when you do get a pitch to do some damage with, you've got to put it in play with authority."
"There's been three or four swings in this series where he's gotten a good pitch to hit," Boone said. "He's taken a really good swing at it and fouled it straight back. Those are the pitches you've got to take advantage of or it's going to be difficult. He's going through a little struggle right now offensively but I still believe he's always one at bat, one pitch from getting locked in and certainly changing the complexion of the series."
Adam Ottavino hasn't shied away from his lackluster performance throughout the series. Following the Yankees' Game 3 loss, where he allowed two runs in one inning, Ottavino said "everybody is throwing the ball well except for me."
He surrendered a home run to Astros outfielder George Springer in the fifth inning during Game 2, relinquishing the Yankees 2-1 lead. Ottavino held a 1.90 ERA in the regular season, and Boone expects the reliever to return to form with World Series aspirations on the line.
"If we're going to win, he's still going to have to get some big outs for us. There's just no way around it especially in this series against some of their rightys, he's got to be able to find it. I thought yesterday — he comes in and does a good job at dictating the count and getting ahead of Springer the way we like to see him. He's 1-2 then three pitches that weren't overly competitive where he loses them. The leadoff walk really bites him and then (Jose) Altuve jumps on the first pitch there.
From a mindset standpoint and an overall confidence, I feel like he's ok in that department. The bottom line, he's got to dictate counts, command his pitches. If he does that, he can lock back in."
Click the audio player above to listen to Boone's interview in its entirety.
