NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Berti looked like a Gold Glove winner in his first professional game at first base.
Forced to use backups following Anthony Rizzo's injury, the New York Yankees started Berti at first base in Monday night's 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals that evened their AL Division Series at one game apiece.
Berti made a clean pickup of Yuli Gurriel's tricky second-inning squibber over the bag, then a diving stab for an unassisted double play in the sixth to save at least one run — maybe two.
“I thought he was great over there tonight and at the plate,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Berti sprawled for a backhand catch on pinch-hitter MJ Melendez's 105.3 mph liner in the sixth, popped to his feet and stepped on first to double up Michael Massey for an inning-ending double play.
“Just reacted to it, obviously, and glad we’re able to get out of that and give ourselves a chance moving forward," Berti said.
Berti went 1 for 4 with a strikeout, hitting a pair of flyouts and a ninth-inning single.
“Berti’s an athlete,” Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “Just like me, you can put him on any part of the field. He’s going to make plays."
Acquired from Miami just before opening day, Berti hit .273 in 25 games and 66 at-bats for the Yankees this year while playing second, third and left.
A 34-year-old veteran of seven big league season, Berti had no experience at first base besides the final three innings of a spring training game when Miami played Washington on March 25, 2021. He caught the throw from third baseman Joe Dunand on Jordy Mercer's eighth-inning grounder for his one putout.
With Rizzo sidelined by a pair of fractured fingers, Oswaldo Cabrera started at first in the Yankees' 6-5 win Saturday in the series opener, going 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and making several sparkling defensive plays.
New York rookie Ben Rice, who played at first while Rizzo was sidelined with a broken right forearm from mid-June through August, was another option on the Yankees roster.
Boone was impressed by Berti's pickup on Gurriel's grounder.
“Sneaky, tough play, especially when you’re not over there a lot where that ball’s spinning on you,” Boone said. “Thought he handled himself really well tonight over there.”
Hurt when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki on Sept. 28, Rizzo hopes to be back if the Yankees advance to the League Championship Series.
Berti worked in the past week with coach Travis Chapman and Rizzo to learn first base positioning.
“Just a lot of nuance to it," Berti said. "There’s a lot more to it than people probably think. But coming over as third baseman, shortstop, second baseman, you always want to go after every single ball. But as a first baseman, you've got to learn kind of which balls are going to go towards the second baseman and get over to first.”
Boone picked Clarke Schmidt over Luis Gil to start Game 3 at Kansas City on Wednesday night.
Schmidt, a 28-year-old right-hander, will follow Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón in the rotation, with Cole lined up for Game 4 in the best-of-five series and Rodón for a potential Game 5. A 28-year-old right-hander, Schmidt was 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts, missing time between May 26 and Sept. 7 because of a strained right lat.
“I think a great opportunity and something I’ve been looking forward to and kind of hoping would happen,” Schmidt said.
Gil, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, was 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA. He struck out 171 in 151 2/3 innings but led the major leagues with 77 walks.
Schmidt said Boone told him of the decision on Sunday.
“It just feels like he’s the right guy for that game,” Boone said. “I have a lot of confidence in what both bring to the table and, hopefully, if we’re able to move on, then Luis is obviously going to find himself back in the rotation, as well.”
AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees third baseman Jon Berti comes off the bag on a throwing error by third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. allowing Kansas City Royals' Yuli Gurriel (18) to reach first base safely during the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
NEW YORK (AP) — Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning to spark a four-run rally against Carlos Rodón, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.
Four relievers held New York in check after an inconsistent Cole Ragans lasted four innings. Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia singled in runs for the Royals.
Garcia, moved up from ninth to first in Kansas City's batting order, had four hits.
Game 3 in the best-of-five playoff is Wednesday night at Kansas City, the Royals’ first postseason home game since the 2015 World Series.
“It’s basically like a brand-new series when we get to the K,” Ragans said, referring to Kauffman Stadium.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went 1 for 3 with an infield single and is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts in the series. Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr., expected to finish second to Judge in AL MVP voting, was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, dropping to 0 for 10 in the series.
All four Division Series opened 1-1 for the first time since the round started in 1995.
Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single in the third, but New York went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and is 3 for 19 in the two games.
“They were making their pitches when they needed to,” Judge said. “We've got to come through in those situations to kind of break it open.”
Ragans allowed just the one run and three hits, striking out five and walking four. Winning pitcher Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber each followed with a hitless inning before Kris Bubic threw two scoreless innings. Lucas Erceg worked the ninth for his third save this postseason.
Erceg gave up a leadoff homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a two-out single to Jon Berti but retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it with slugger Juan Soto on deck. Chisholm's homer was the first off Erceg since June 12, when he was still pitching for Oakland.
Perez, at 34 the only remaining Royals player from their 2015 championship team, tied the score when he drove a 2-0 slider into the left-field seats. The nine-time All-Star entered 12 for 26 (.462) with three homers off Rodón, an old AL Central rival when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox.
“He falls behind him, and from there started making some mistakes with his secondary (pitches) just in the heart of the plate," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Yuli Gurriel singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Pham’s one-out single for a 2-1 lead, prompting cheers from NFL fans at the Kansas City Chiefs' home game against New Orleans at Arrowhead Stadium. Pham stole second and scored on a two-out single by Hampson.
Garcia greeted Ian Hamilton with an RBI single that put the Royals ahead 4-1.
Rodón, lined up to pitch a potential Game 5, gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. Twenty-four of the 32 home runs he has allowed this season have been solo shots.
“Obviously, I want to be better than that — especially how the first three innings went,” Rodón said. “I wouldn’t say I tired out. Just got to be better with those pitches, just more fine with them and get to better spots.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (left flexor strain) took a step forward when he played catch Sunday, Boone said.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA) makes his first postseason start Wednesday. He was 0-2 with an 11.75 ERA in three relief appearances during the 2022 playoffs.
Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.00) is scheduled to start for the Royals. He struck out 10 over seven innings of three-hit ball in a 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The date 06/10/2020 is displayed on Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg's (60) glove during the ninth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series against the New York Yankees, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg, right, and pitcher Lucas Erceg react after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg (60) and catcher Salvador Perez (13) celebrate after beating the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kansas City Royals outfielder Tommy Pham (22) heads for first base on an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kansas City Royals Garrett Hampson (2) scores on a hit against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) connects for a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) celebrates with Yuli Gurriel (18) after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of Game 2 of the American League baseball playoff series, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
