Cody Bellinger finally got one, and the Yankees still found a way to make it feel bad.
His third-inning shot against Houston was a three-run homer, a 102 mph line drive that traveled 367 feet into right field. It was his first home run since June 17, ending a 32-game drought that had started to follow him around every time he came to the plate.
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But they still lost 9-7 because the bullpen gave the game away later. Bellinger’s swing should have been the story of the night.
He has been asked to carry more lately, whether anyone wants to say it directly or not. With Aaron Judge unavailable, the lineup needs another hitter who can make a pitcher pay for one mistake. Bellinger did exactly that on Monday.
Cody Bellinger rounds the bases after a three-run homer against Houston on Aug. 25. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
Yankees needed a Bellinger swing like that
The homer came with Trent Grisham and Luis Garcia Jr. on base and flipped a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. It was not a cheap Yankee Stadium fly ball, either. Bellinger got a fastball he could handle and did not miss it.
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This is the version of him the Yankees need down the stretch. Not somebody trying to carry nine hitters by himself. Just a dangerous left-handed bat who makes an opposing starter uncomfortable when the inning starts to build.
For a while, it looked like that hit might settle everyone down. The Yankees added two more in the fifth and had Houston on the ropes. Bellinger gave them a lead before the game got messy.
One swing does not erase the rest of it
Nobody should act like a three-run homer wipes away a long dry spell. It does not. Bellinger still has to keep showing it, especially with Judge out and the lineup needing production from more than one place.
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But I also do not love the instant rush to turn every drought into a funeral. Good hitters have bad stretches. The bigger thing is whether the at-bats still look alive and whether the player can punish a pitch when the chance shows up.
On Monday, Bellinger did. His homer came early, it came in a real spot, and it gave the Yankees a lead against a team they badly wanted to beat.
The Yankees cannot let this become a footnote
It is a little ridiculous that a game with Bellinger’s drought-breaking homer, Luis Garcia’s two-run blast and Jazz Chisholm’s late RBI ended with another frustrating loss. The offense gave the bullpen enough to work with.
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Bellinger cannot be the only Yankee who turns a good at-bat into damage. He can be part of the answer, though, and that was obvious Monday night.
The Yankees needed him to look like a hitter opponents have to worry about again. He did his part. The rest of the night was the problem.
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