MILWAUKEE — Gleyber Torres’ celebration at second base after his bases-clearing double — and possible slump-busting knock — in the third inning of the Yankees’ 15-3 thrashing against the Brewers on Saturday night was subtle.
The second baseman looked up to the sky and clapped his hands before motioning to the Yankees’ dugout. He got a knuckle punch from first base coach Travis Chapman, who jogged over to grab Torres’ elbow and shin guards.
When Torres got back to the dugout after the third out of the half inning a few minutes later, however, his teammates really had an opportunity to show their support.
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Torres was bombarded with high fives as soon as he descended the dugout steps, showered with love from players and coaches as he went down the gauntlet. From afar, it looked like a hero’s welcome.
Any three-run double deserves that kind of reaction, certainly in the early innings of what turned out to be a feel-good win and overdue offensive onslaught, but this meant even more for Torres.
The 27-year-old has been an abyss within the Yankees’ lineup to start the year.
Before he stepped up to the plate in that third inning, Torres was batting .190 (19-for-100) on the season with two RBI. In his previous 19 games, dating back to April 8, the second baseman was hitting .150 (9-for-60) with zero extra-base hits and zero RBI.
That’s why Torres was moved down to the No. 7 spot in the order on Saturday, the lowest he’s hit this season … a campaign in which he started as the everyday leadoff hitter.
So when Torres was able to drive the eighth pitch of his at-bat against Brewers right-hander Joe Ross into the gap in right-center field, a 106.7-mph scorcher to the wall, he could exhale.
“Finally, I did something for the team,” Torres said at his locker after the 15-3 win. “A lot of work in the cage, BP and finally, I saw the result tonight. I feel happy.”
Gleyber clears the bases 👊 pic.twitter.com/fSF9qs9nSJ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 28, 2024
The moment when Torres was greeted warmly by his teammates is a testament to the camaraderie that this club has fostered behind the scenes. They’re invested in every pitch that Torres is seeing these days, knowing how much of a challenging stretch this has been.
“You’re in this thing together every day for hours and you know what everyone’s going through,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained. “You know how much of a grind it can be and how tough it can be sometimes. The one thing I always strive for our teams is that you want it for the guy next to you more than for yourself. Those guys have that kind of bond and camaraderie. So seeing a teammate come up big that’s gone through struggles here this first month, guys rally around that.”
Aaron Judge, who has also scuffled offensively to start the year, added: “To stay in there, battle off some tough pitches, work into the eighth pitch there and get something out over the plate and do some damage, that’s what it’s all about. He’s been working hard all offseason, all spring training and all season. Excited for him to come through in a big way.”
Judge and Torres were two of the six Yankees that had multiple hits on Saturday. The captain went yard in the sixth — a 417-foot shot to center field — one of a season-high four big flies for New York.
Alex Verdugo, who leapfrogged Torres in the lineup on Saturday as he moved into the cleanup spot, said that Torres’ three-run double was the spark that paved the way to the Yankees’ eruption on offense, their biggest win of the year when it comes to runs scored and margin of victory.
Verdugo’s three-run homer in the first inning certainly helped as well, but Torres was the one that broke the game wide open.
“It felt like that was the deciding factor,” Verdugo said. “That was the big blow. To see GT, who has struggled a little bit, and to keep grinding with it, sticking with it and his approach, you’re starting to see it really pay off. I’m liking the swings.”
Torres said that it’s been amazing how much empathy his teammates have had for him and his woes at the plate thus far.
“Here in the clubhouse, we are a family,” Torres said. “We know how hard the game is and when people are struggling — not myself, it can be other players too — we’re there for support in any situation.”
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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.
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