BOSTON — Joe Girardi probably has accepted Brett Gardner’s apology by now.
On Friday night at Fenway Park, Gardner twice apologized to his manager after getting ejected for firing his helmet to the dirt following a questionable called third strike. Yesterday the Yankees’ speedy leadoff man emerged from his offensive funk with a three-hit performance, including a huge RBI single that gave his team the lead for good in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox.
“It just felt good to win,” Gardner said, downplaying any personal desire to atone.
Gardner entered the day in a massive slump, having collected just five hits in 39 at-bats over his previous 12 games. But he can contribute in other ways.
Before getting ejected Friday, he single-handedly created a run by drawing a fourth-inning walk, out-sprinting a pickoff attempt to steal second base, swiping third and scoring a run on catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s throwing error.
Yesterday Gardner began the game with an infield single to short off Boston starter John Lackey before flying out in the third inning. He came up in the fifth for a big at-bat — the Lackey-Hiroki Kuroda duel was scoreless, Luis Cruz was on second base and there were two outs. Did Gardner think one run might win it?
“You never know with Hiro on the mound,” he said. “You want to get him that lead.”
Gardner smacked a single to center, bringing in Cruz and putting the Yankees up 1-0. He added a third single in the seventh on a sharp liner to left as part of the Yankees’ three-run surge before reaching on Dustin Pedroia’s ninth-inning error.
With Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira on the disabled list, Gardner probably ranks as the Yankees’ second-best hitter behind Robinson Cano. It’s one reason why he had to be smarter than risk being ejected — the Yankees cannot afford to lose him. Girardi said he doesn’t expect Gardner to be suspended for Friday’s explosion, saying he believes he will be assessed a fine.
Gardner could not point to a reason for his recent struggles, and when asked if the All-Star break refreshed him, he replied simply, “I think the break refreshes everybody.”
Two days after the break ended and one day after his apology, Gardner delivered.