Where’s Oswaldo? In Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, he was everywhere, making a huge defensive play early in extra innings before breaking an 0-for-25 skid with a walk-off single, giving the Yankees a 5-4 win and their 14th walkoff of the season.
The former saw him notch his fifth outfield assist of the season – remarkably leading the Yankees, and even more remarkably coming in just three weeks’ time, and in less than 20 games in the outfield – with this incredible throw to nail Gilberto Celestino at the plate, with what could have been the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning:
It marked the second straight game he had nailed the speedy Celestino, as his fourth outfield assist came in Monday’s matinee when he made a play on a carom off the right field wall and threw out Celestino trying to stretch a single into a double.
“I just try to compete every time,” a humble Cabrera said of Wednesday’s play after the win.
He had a chance to be the hero in the bottom of the inning, but with first and second and one out, he chopped into a 5-5-3 inning-ending double play – but in his next at-bat in the 12th, with second and third and two outs, Cabrera poked a 1-2 breaking ball the other way, a single to left that won the game.
“I was just looking for my pitch and just trying to compete,” he told Meredith Marakovits. “It feels amazing.”
“He had a good at-bat early in the game where he smoked the ball into the shift, and he keeps having competitive at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said of Cabrera. “I thought he made a good adjustment and a good job of going with it.”
Cabrera has continued to play stellar defense at an unfamiliar position – he had never played the outfield period as a pro before early August – but after being 0-for-5 in the game and not having had a hit since August 29 in Anaheim, he came through in the biggest moment of the game.
“I’m enjoying each moment, even if something bad happens, I just try to enjoy it all,” Cabrera said. “Just try to compete.”
Added Boone: “I love his poise and makeup; he’s not afraid.”
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