Derek Jeter, rally killer?
Francisco Cervelli doubled to lead off the seventh inning for the Yankees last night, but Jeter stranded the catcher at third by grounding back to the mound.
Two innings later, Cervelli started a rally with a one-out single. This time, with the bases loaded Jeter stranded the runners by striking out.
“‘Jete’ had a tough day,” hitting coach Kevin Long said.
The Yankees captain is in the midst of a tough stretch of the season. He went 1-for-5 in the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Mets — and even the one hit, a third-inning infield single, was questionable because Mets first baseman Ike Davis dropped the throw as Jeter crossed the bag. He is in a 1-for-20 funk and is batting just .209 (14-for-67) this month.
Jeter faced three different pitchers: lefties Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano and righty Francisco Rodriguez. Asked if the Mets pitched him any differently last night, the shortstop insisted they didn’t.
“The results just weren’t there,” he said.
Jeter was retired on a groundout to first in his opening at-bat, reached on that infield single to second base in the third and grounded out to second to lead off the sixth. Then came the seventh, with the Yankees trailing, 1-0.
After Cervelli opened with a double, Curtis Granderson struck out and Brett Gardner grounded out to move Cervelli to third. Jeter then grounded back to Feliciano on the first pitch he saw to end the threat.
Jeter had an even bigger at-bat in the ninth. With the Mets ahead 4-0, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out. The game’s momentum seemed to be shifting as Jeter came to the plate against Rodriguez. But Jeter struck out on three pitches, the last one a check swing.
“I knew it was close,” Jeter said when asked if he swung. “I probably did.”
Jeter, historically a good situational hitter, is 1-for-9 with the bases loaded this season.