George Lombard Jr.’s strong start to his MLB career is trailing further and further in the rearview mirror.
The high from blasting two home runs in his first four games has quickly subsided amid Lombard’s nightmarish streak of committing an error in six straight games, most recently in a 5-1 loss to the Astros on Thursday night in The Bronx.
While the defensive gaffes can be chalked up to a young player finding his footing during his first month in the majors, it is a historically bad streak.
Lombard is the first Yankees shortstop to commit an error in six straight games since Roger Peckinpaugh in 1915.
“I don’t know; it’s something I’m trying to figure out,” Lombard said after the game. “Obviously, it’s not acceptable, can’t happen at this level. If you make your pitchers have to get extra outs, just makes it way harder on us. Other teams are going to capitalize. Something we’re definitely going to have to clean up and got to be better tomorrow.”
Bobbling a bouncy-yet-routine grounder off the bat of Yainer Diaz in the top of the eighth inning, Lombard inadvertently flipped the ball to José Caballero, who threw it way over the head of Luis García Jr. at first base.
Christian Walker was able to reach home and give his team a 5-1 lead.
Aaron Boone, asked about Lombard’s series of errors before No. 6 occurred, assured that he didn’t expect it to continue.
“You’re going to make errors at that position,” the manager said. “He’s just happened to make a few kind of funky ones in the last few days. One where a ball gets ricocheted, he picks it up and throws it in the dirt that he probably shouldn’t have. You have one on a transfer. I think over time he’s going to be really steady, as well as doing all the other things that’ll wow you with his range and his strength and all that.
“His work’s great. He’s fundamentally very good. I expect this to be a bump, or a little blip on the radar. That’s my hope.”
Lombard wouldn’t say he’s pressing in the field, but the 21-year-old admitted he had to converse with the coaching staff to figure out what’s going on.
Despite committing just one error in his first 14 games, Lombard said he experienced a stretch of defensive lapses like this previously in his career.
Just continuing to work, he said, is what helped him break out of it.
Lombard showed flashes of his elite glove and defensive instincts earlier this month, after he was recalled for his MLB debut Aug. 4 against the Cardinals.
Considering how big a concern shortstop has been this season — amid Anthony Volpe’s demotion — the Yankees can’t seem to catch a break at the position.
“Obviously, there’s something to that, you start not wanting to make a mistake,” Boone said when asked how this can affect Lombard mentally. “The good thing about George is he’s so skilled and gifted out there, and foundationally he’s really good too. He will get through it. You just got to get a few going and then start playing kind of carefree, free and easy a little bit. I’ve been there; players get there.
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“Because defensively you’re supposed to make every single play, and you don’t make a couple and instead of playing to go make every play, sometimes you guard against the mistake. We got to make sure we guard against that. Over time, he’ll be fine, just because of how skilled he is and how good his foundation is. He’ll get through it.”
