The New York Yankees are down 0-2 to the Houston Astros, who have been their kryptonite in recent seasons, as they travel back home for Game 3 of the ALCS. Josh Donaldson is in a terrible slump, and the offence as a whole is having trouble producing. He’s hitting a pitiful.167 in the Championship Series and just.227 overall in the postseason.
Aaron Boone made it very plain that Donaldson will be in the lineup as the Yankees attempt to turn this series around, despite some Yankees fans’ calls for him to be benched.
via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch
It’s amazing that everyone jumps on him yet we struggle to score offensively as a whole, Boone added. Despite his difficulties, he has so far been successful in the postseason at a 40 percent clip. We require him. He must do a significant feat for this series. We must start that process.
Josh Donaldson has been pitched differently throughout the season by various clubs, according to Boone. When you’re trying to cover a few various speeds, he occasionally has trouble, and your timing is a little off. From a consistency perspective, I think that’s where he’s had the most trouble. He has, nevertheless, also scored many important runs for us. We must continue to believe that he can give us a game-changing opportunity and deliver one of those powerful at-bats.
To be perfectly honest, Josh Donaldson currently appears to be somewhat lost at the plate. He’s just not confident; he’s struck out 11 times in the playoffs so far, with the exception of a double in Game 2.
Positively, the 36-year-old is a capable major league hitter who can deliver a crucial hit. That is precisely the reason Boone continues to have faith in him. Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Oswaldo Cabrera would take over at the hot corner if he decided to make a move.
However, it doesn’t seem like that is happening. not in Game 4 on Saturday, at least.
Aaron Boone offers a frank assessment of Josh Donaldson’s ALCS difficulties in the essay that first posted on ClutchPoints.
