If you’re gonna break a two-month-long hitless streak, why not do it in style?
That’s exactly what Marwin Gonzalez did on Monday, thanks to this solo homer in the third inning of the Yankees’ matinee with the Twins:
That dinger was Gonzalez’s first homer since June 28 (off now-teammate Frankie Montas) and first hit at all since July 6, a span of 20 games played (and 53 total Yankees games) and 59 days. That hit actually came off a position player, Pittsburgh’s Josh VanMeter, in a blowout win over the Pirates, so it was Gonzalez’s first hit off an actual pitcher since July 2, when he singled off Cleveland’s Kirk McCarty.
Gonzalez entered Monday hitting .200/.271/.373 in 65 games as a utility player for the Yankees, and he was starting at first base Monday with Anthony Rizzo out and DJ LeMahieu getting a day off. He had not been a total zero at the plate during the streak, at least, as he had four walks, a hit by pitch, a sac fly, and two RBI during that span.
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His homer also ended a strange Yankees streak: it was the first run not scored by Aaron Judge since Wednesday night in Anaheim. Judge accounted for all three Yankees runs in the weekend series with the Rays – two solo homers and a run scored on an Oswaldo Cabrera sac fly – and he had scored the Yankees’ first run on Monday on Josh Donaldson’s RBI single in the first.
Prior to Gonzalez, Aaron Hicks’ sac fly that scored Gleyber Torres in the fifth inning last Wednesday in Anaheim was the last run not scored by Judge crossing the plate.
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