Yankees’ Brett Gardner attempts leadoff inside-the-park HR
Yankees’ outfielder Brett Gardner attempted an excitingly rare inside-the-park home run to lead off the game against the Mets on Monday.
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The Yankees looked a little bit different entering Monday’s game. Trading away guys like Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman for top prospects from the Rangers, Indians and the Cubs was a solid move by the Yankees’ front office, but the fans might be a little upset that they’re virtually giving up on the 2016 season while just seven games out of first place.
That doesn’t mean the guys already on the team are mailing it in, though.
Brett Gardner wasn’t ready to give up on the Yankees’ playoff hopes on Monday to lead off the series against the New York Mets in the Subway Series. The left-handed left-fielder began the game with a long drive to right center and the ball caromed off the walk into shallow center.
Gardner was thinking inside-the-park homer all the way as he rounded third base with the ball already in second baseman Neil Walker’s glove after a strong throw from Curtis Granderson. He was out at home.
That’s what you call a hustle play on both ends. First off, Gardner’s hit would have been a double or maybe a triple by an average base-runner, but he ran the fastest time around the bases this season.
Statcast clocked Brett Gardner's first-inning trip around the bases at 14.89 seconds, fastest in MLB this season. Mets threw him out anyway.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 1, 2016
Granderson and Walker didn’t quit, though, tossing out the Yankees’ star at home. You have to applaud the effort from both sides and it may be a while before you see another player even come close to a leadoff inside-the-parker.
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