George Lombard Jr. has stumbled at times during his first 40 games of MLB action, which is to be expected, but the New York Yankees believe their 21-year-old shortstop is built for the moment. They will trust him to hold his own in high-pressure postseason baseball. He got in some valuable practice during Thursday night's 6-4 comeback win versus the Tampa Bay Rays, and in the process, the former first-round draft pick achieved a notable feat.
With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Lombard crushed a two-run, two-out 400-foot homer off lefty Steven Matz. Behind only Mickey Mantle, the right-handed hitter is now the second-youngest Yankees player to hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth or later, according to Sarah Langs. Considering this franchise's long and unmatched history, that is quite the accomplishment.
Many fans praised Lombard's poise when he first joined the MLB roster, and this timely blast will only reinforce their optimism. It has been a tough September overall for the Miami, Florida native, but perhaps he is getting back on track right before the playoffs.
Lombard also notched a double, recording his fourth multi-hit game in the last nine days. He will take a five-game hitting streak into a regular season-ending series against the Baltimore Orioles.
George Lombard Jr. will try to hone his swing in Yankee Stadium for a few more days before the likely No. 5-seeded Boston Red Sox roll into town for a best-of-three American League Wild Card Series. He will need to prepare himself for a surreal experience, and a rowdy atmosphere.