Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. just found himself on the absolute wrong side of history after a defensive miscue in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros. The kid became the first Yankees shortstop since Roger Peckinpaugh way back in 1915 to rack up at least one error in six straight games. That’s 111 years, people! Lombard’s struggles at short are becoming a massive problem for New York, especially right now.
“It’s Not Acceptable”: Lombard’s Defensive Nightmare
This isn’t just a bad week, it’s a historic slump. Lombard began this crazy streak against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 21, and he’s piled up six errors in just 29 total chances during this stretch. To put that in perspective, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo has six errors in a whopping 516 chances this season. That’s a brutal comparison for Lombard. After the loss, Lombard was blunt, calling his defensive play “not acceptable.” He told reporters, “It’s something we’re trying to figure out. It’s not acceptable. It can’t happen at this level. If you make your pitchers have to get extra outs it just makes it way harder on us, and teams are going to capitalize. So it’s something that we’re definitely going to have to clean up and I’ve got to be better tomorrow.” You’ve gotta respect the honesty, but the actions on the field are speaking louder right now.
Youthful Struggles and Mounting Stakes
Lombard’s overall defensive numbers since his call-up are equally jarring: seven errors in only 20 games. What’s wild is that scouting reports always touted his defensive ability as his best tool, so this rough patch is totally uncharacteristic. He’s a young guy, just turned 21 on June 2, so nobody is saying this is the end-all, be-all for his career. But Yankees manager Aaron Boone absolutely has to be mindful of this, and fast. The Yankees are fighting tooth and nail to catch the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. And even worse, they’re only two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the No. 1 wild card spot.
Tomorrow night is huge. The Red Sox roll into the Bronx for a four-game series. If Lombard can’t clean up his play, those two games could vanish quick. He said he has to be better “tomorrow,” and man, he wasn’t kidding. The season’s on the line, and this young shortstop is carrying a heavy load right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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