Barry Bonds, Wade Boggs … Pedro Ciriaco?
Ciriaco, the Red Sox shortstop, joined that unlikely group because of his dominance of the Yankees this season. He added four more hits in Boston’s 4-1 win in The Bronx yesterday.
“You think they’ll try to trade for him?” Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. “He’s played well against the Yankees. Jesus Christmas.”
If anything, Valentine was underselling just how well Ciriaco has done in his first season in the rivalry, which hasn’t been much of a battle this season.
After going 4-for-4 with a double and a run yesterday, Ciriaco is hitting .517 (15-for-29) against the Yankees.
In over half a century, the only player with a better career average against the Bombers (minimum 25 plate appearances) is Bonds at .533.
And that’s not all.
Ciriaco has two four-hit games versus the Yankees this season. The last time that happened was when Boggs did it three times for the Red Sox in 1989.
Here’s one more: Of Ciriaco’s six games with at least three hits, four have come against the Yankees.
In all, he has nine runs, three doubles, and seven RBIs in seven rivalry games to provide at least one bright spot in Boston’s seemingly lost season.
“He’s gotten us all year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s unbelievable.
Particularly when you consider the 26-year-old had just 39 at bats in the majors before this season, all with the Pirates, and is hitting .276 with five RBIs in 76 at-bats against the rest of the league.
The newest Yankees-killer didn’t have much of an explanation for his success.
“I enjoy anytime I’m in the lineup,” Ciriaco said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. When you play against the Yankees, it’s like the finals. You do the best you can. … They threw me good pitches to hit, and I tried to make something happen. I was probably lucky, too.”
Valentine said he is confident there’s more to come.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Valentine said. “It amazes me that he is who is, with that kind of talent, and hasn’t been utilized before.”
Teammate Alfredo Aceves, a former Yankee, had a similar theory.
When asked if Ciriaco raises his game in The Bronx, the closer responded: “It’s not that. It’s because he’s good. And that’s good for him … and bad for the Yankees.”