NEW YORK — Gary Sanchez went cold at a terrible time.
Sanchez led the Yankees with four strikeouts in four at-bats in their 5-2 loss to the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
Sanchez was hitting eighth, entering the night with a .389 average through his last last seven games.
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The Yankees’ Nos. 6-9 hitters combined for 10 punch outs in 15 at-bats, with Rougned Odor, Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner each notching a pair.
“It was a little bit of a struggle,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We expanded the zone a little too much down there. I thought (Frazier) got a couple good swings off. Gardy hit a ball hard to first. But for the most part a little bit expanding the zone down there and that led to some of the strikeouts.”
Before the game, Sanchez had credited his work with the Yankees’ hitting coaches for his recent success.
“We wanted to simplify my swing in a way that would allow my hands to come out faster,” Sanchez said. “It’s been something that we’ve been working on the past two weeks and I really like the adjustment we’ve made.”
Sanchez is hitting .198 with six homers, 13 RBI and a .697 OPS through 131 at-bats.
Sanchez said that making adjustments was key.
“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “You’ve got to understand that if what you’re doing isn’t giving you the results you want, it’s time to make an adjustment, put it in play and take action. It’s one of those things that sometimes you’ve got to do it in the middle of the season or sometimes you’ve got to do it when the season is over. But you’ve got to understand what’s not working and make an adjustment.”
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
