There were few positives to be taken from the Yankees’ 7-5 loss to the Tigers yesterday, but Nick Swisher’s bat was one of them. He homered from both sides of the plate to lead a furious Bombers rally that fell just short.
Swisher hit a first-inning solo shot off starter Drew Smyly, about the only offense the Yankees would get off the rookie left-hander. Swisher then followed with a ninth-inning encore, turning to the other side of the plate and taking right-handed reliever Jose Valverde deep. The latter shot sparked a three-run inning, but Eric Chavez’s deep fly ball stranded Curtis Granderson and ended the rally.
“Overall, great comeback. We were 15 feet away from tying that game. We’ve got to come back [today] and win the series,’’ said Swisher, who began play yesterday second in the American League — and fourth in the majors — with 21 RBIs, and added two more in a losing effort.
It was Swisher’s 18th multi-homer game, and first since last Aug. 24 against the Athletics. More impressive, it was the 11th time he has gone deep from both sides of the plate in the same game, tying the right fielder with Eddie Murray and Chili Davis for second-most all-time, behind only Mark Teixeira.
After Detroit had jumped all over Freddy Garcia in the top of the first inning for three quick runs, Swisher answered in the bottom of the inning. He tagged Smyly’s 1-1 pitch — a 77-mph slider — out to left to cut the lead to 3-1. But the Tigers kept adding on the next inning, pushing their lead to 6-1.
With the Yankees trailing 7-2 going into the ninth, Swisher led off against the struggling Valverde and hit his 94-mph fastball out for another solo shot. Swisher is 13 for his last 37 and has four extra base hits in his last two games. But despite the Yankees bringing the tying run to the plate, they couldn’t complete the comeback.
“I felt pretty good,’’ said Swisher, who tipped the proverbial cap to Smyly after the Tigers rookie limited the Yankees to just two hits and one run through six innings for his first career win. “He’s one of those guys who mixes speeds, breaking ball, slider, got a little cutter, kind of like a slinger almost, it almost feels like he comes back and slings at you. I’ve got to give him credit. Great job.’’