OAKLAND — Juan Soto didn’t really feel nice.
When he awoke Friday morning, his left knee was stiff, swollen and achy. The evening prior, he slammed it into the wall making a sliding catch at T-Cellular Park in Seattle, and with simply 9 video games left within the season and a month till his hotly anticipated free company, he was nervous one thing could be very unsuitable.
Turned out, he wasn’t simply OK. He was en path to delivering one other signature second in his first and — avert your eyes, New York Yankees followers — maybe solely season in pinstripes.
Soto battled by way of soreness in his knee to ship Tenth-inning, pinch-hitting heroics in a vital 4-2 win over the Oakland A’s on the Coliseum.
“Showman-like,” stated Gerrit Cole, the evening’s different hero who allowed only one run over 9 innings and 99 pitches.
Let’s run by way of essentially the most standout elements of Soto’s transient, however impactful efficiency.
Soto. Clutch. pic.twitter.com/w8Xf28blfL
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2024
Enjoying by way of ache
Soto wasn’t completely prepared. Although supervisor Aaron Boone’s preliminary lineup had the 25-year-old batting second and taking part in proper area, Soto’s pregame work advised the workforce to yank him out simply hours earlier than first pitch.
Earlier within the day, Soto acquired the perfect information of all: X-rays of his kneecap didn’t reveal structural harm.
“It was actually a aid,” he stated.
A much bigger aid? Getting the job completed when Boone referred to as upon him with the sport on the road.
Within the Tenth with the rating tied 1-1, after Anthony Rizzo led off with a single to proper area and moved computerized runner Jasson Domínguez to 3rd base, Boone figured it was the correct time. So, Soto pinch hit for middle fielder Trent Grisham.
With the depend 1-1, Oakland reliever T.J. McFarland whipped an 88-mph sinker that went all the way in which to the backstop for a wild pitch. Domínguez slid feet-first below the pitcher’s tag. The Yankees had taken the lead.
Then, on the subsequent pitch, Soto roped a slider to the right-field nook. The ball (exit velocity: 110 mph) zipped over the left fielder’s head, scoring pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera from second base.
Soto cruised into second base after which got here out for pinch runner Jon Berti.
“What a big-time at-bat,” Boone stated.
“That was superior,” catcher Austin Wells stated. “I imply, he couldn’t play the entire sport? He got here in on the finish? Only a piece-o’-cake double. No, I’m glad he’s wholesome, and he did an incredible job coming off the bench.”
It delivered to thoughts Soto’s efficiency from 9 days prior when he fouled a ball off his foot, went down in ache after which continued the at-bat solely to crush an extended two-run homer off Kansas Metropolis Royals beginning pitcher Cole Ragans. The Yankees gained the sport 4-3.
Willingness to place his physique on the road
On Friday afternoon, Soto hung out hitting within the cage with assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler and doing squats within the weight room. However he wasn’t prepared. Soto and the Yankees determined to present him extra time to relaxation. So, Aaron Decide shifted to proper area and Grisham began in middle.
But, by the point the center of the sport got here round, Boone stated that Soto approached him to inform him that he might hit if the sport was on the road.
Soto didn’t have to do this. He might have taken the remainder of the day to guard his knee — and his availability for the postseason. The Yankees clinched a playoff berth Wednesday and maintained their four-game lead within the American League East with eight video games remaining.
However Soto wished to play.
“I do know we clinched and this and that,” he stated. “However on the finish of the day, the objective is to win the division, and we’re actually shut. I didn’t take into consideration any break day or something. However we’re making an attempt to be good too and take into consideration October and never take into consideration proper now. So, yeah, all of the choices got here by way of my thoughts.”
Cole had a easy rationalization.
“He loves the second, man,” Cole stated. “He loves it.”
Juan Soto discusses standing of his knee, pinch-hitting, playoff anticipation and extra. pic.twitter.com/WnpFPVpna2
— YES Community (@YESNetwork) September 21, 2024
A nod to his teammates and coaching workers
The Yankees’ dugout exploded after Soto’s double. It was clear how a lot Soto adores his teammates as he danced and sprayed champagne with them throughout Wednesday’s celebration of the Yankees nailing down a playoff spot.
However he put it into phrases Friday.
“These guys are unbelievable,” he stated. “These guys are nice. I really like each single man that’s in right here. We’ve been collectively since Day 1, and we’ve been displaying love day in and day trip, and it’s only a nice feeling.”
Soto additionally credited the Yankees’ medical and power staffers for his or her work on his knee.
“The trainers did a reasonably good job to assist me get the swelling down and it felt superb,” he stated.
He added, “(The knee) reacted fairly nicely. So all through the sport, I used to be feeling good. It wasn’t sore or something after all of the work we put in, and that’s after I knew I had a very good probability to be an choice.”
(Photograph: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Pictures)