Todd Frazier felt like a child, eagerly waiting to know what it was like to be a part of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. As a kid in New Jersey, nothing in baseball seemed bigger.
“I remember coming to the ballpark and watching these games,” the Point Pleasant, N.J., native said. “Anything can happen here.”
In Frazier’s first experience, just about everything did happened.
The newly acquired third baseman played a massive role in one of the Yankees’ biggest wins of the season, delivering the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, and making a game-saving tag in the ninth, to help seal the 5-4 comeback win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
“It feels really good, very meaningful,” Frazier said. “Somebody’s going to come through, and it was me today, so I’m pretty happy about the performance.”
After being shut out for seven innings, the Yankees finally erupted against reliever and ex-Met Addison Reed, igniting a crowd that had slowly been lulled into apathy.
With the Red Sox up 3-0, Brett Gardner led off the eighth with a hit by pitch. Aaron Hicks followed with a two-run home run. Gary Sanchez singled. Aaron Judge walked, followed by Didi Gregorius’ game-tying single.
Up came Frazier, with the crowd as loud as it had been all year. On the mound was Joe Kelly, capable of approaching triple-digits with every pitch.
“It was very exciting,” said Frazier, who is hitting .360 over his past seven games. “I basically went two-strike mode there on every pitch, see the ball better, and just focus on putting it in play… just trying to slow everything down. … The main thing we talk about all the time is pass the baton.”
Frazier, who went 1-for-3 with a walk, came through with an RBI single to left to give the Yankees a lead that once seemed unfathomable. It was Frazier’s first go-ahead hit that late in a game this season.
When Frazier returned to the field, with the Yankees leading 5-3, he may have made an even bigger play. With no outs and the bases loaded, Andrew Benintendi brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to left, while Eduardo Nunez attempted to reach third, representing the tying run. Left fielder Aaron Hicks fired a strike to Frazier, who backhanded the ball on a bounce and then lunged for Nunez.
The call was out, but Boston challenged the play. Like everyone else in Yankee Stadium, Frazier watched the big screen, waiting to see what the ruling would be.
“I didn’t know where his hand was to be honest with you, but I knew I grazed him,” Frazier said. “It was just a great play. It went by so fast.”
Not too fast for Frazier to take it all in, smiling about all he had waited to experience.
“It was electric,” Frazier said. “Just to hear the crowd roar, that was something I looked forward to, every day hopefully.”