Mark Lewis may have some champagne ready for Friday’s Yankees-Red Sox game.
Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr.’s stretch of committing errors in six straight games has him just one more error-filled game away from joining Lewis in a dubious club.
Lewis, a former light-hitting infielder, is the last player to commit errors in seven straight games during the 1992 season with Cleveland, according to ESPN.
Lombard has actually already made history with this streak reaching six straight games after he bobbled a grounder during Thursday’s 5-1 home loss to the Astros.
He’s the first Yankee shortstop to do so since Roger Peckinpaugh in 1915, although that’s not bad company to be in considering the shortstop earned 1925 MVP honors.
Lombard is also the first Yankee to have six blunder-filled games in a row in a single season since utility man Chick Fewster in 1921, per ESPN.
“I don’t know; it’s something I’m trying to figure out,” the rookie said Thursday night after he failed to corral a grounder. “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 (Friday).”
That Lombard is approaching Lewis’ territory is shocking considered the leather he flashed during his first game with the team and in the early stages of his rookie season.
Lombard made a fantastic play to start a double play against the Cardinals, and fans quickly noticed how his defensive metrics had him on an incredible place.
But the errors are since rising and raising questions about what’s bothering him.
This stretch started Aug. 21 against Toronto and have occurred in multiple manners, including shoddy fielding, dropped balls and errant throws.
Lewis’ historic stretch happened during his second season with the then Indians from April 28 to May 5, with the shortstop making 10 errors in that timeframe.
Cleveland went 2-5 while he battled through the defensive woes.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes Lombard is too skilled defensively to keep this up, although it’s fair to wonder how this streak even made it to six games.
“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.”
