Yankees’ Andrew Velazquez hits first career MLB home run as New York notches season-high ninth straight win

The New York Yankees thrashed the Minnesota Twins on Saturday by a 7-1 last, extending their successful streak to a season-high 9 video games in a row. The Yankees can credit score sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit for every driving in a pair of runs, in addition to ace Gerrit Cole for delivering six shutout innings. However the one contribution that Yankees followers may maintain dearest noticed utility infielder Andrew Velazquez launch his first profession residence run to proceed an unbelievable run.

Velazquez, a 27-year-old Bronx native, entered Saturday with no residence run in his first 143 big-league plate appearances. (He had homered seven instances this 12 months in Triple-A.) He modified that within the eighth inning by hitting a solo homer off Twins reliever Ralph Garza. Have a look:

Per Statcast, Velazquez’s shot traveled 359 ft and left the bat with an exit velocity of 101.9 mph. These numbers pale compared to, say, the common homer hit by the aforementioned Stanton or Voit, nevertheless it gave Velazquez one more unlikely second in what’s confirmed to be every week filled with them.

Courting again to August 17, or final Tuesday, Velazquez has now pushed in six runs in his final 17 at-bats. Stated stretch features a pair of two-RBI contests as a part of a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. That is notable as a result of, even now, Velazquez has solely 9 profession RBI on the big-league degree. (He additionally entered Saturday with an OPS+ of 67, suggesting he is selecting his spots properly.)

Velazquez, it needs to be famous, was by no means alleged to be on this place. Initially signed as a minor-league free-agent in January, he gave the impression to be little greater than organizational depth. But Velazquez has acquired the chance due to accidents to beginning shortstop Gleyber Torres and third baseman Gio Urshela, in addition to reserve Miguel Andújar.