Yankees Paul Goldschmidt mired in 0-for-30 slump after strong start: I wish I had an answer
ST.PETERSBURG, Fla.
— For the better part of the first three months of the season, Paul Goldschmidt often looked like his former MVP version.Over his last 30 at-bats, though, he has gone completely missing.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
The veteran first baseman’s recent skid hit a new low Tuesday night in the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Rays, when he struck out in all four trips to the plate to sink to 0-for-30 over his last nine games.“I wish I had an answer for you,” Goldschmidt said on a night when the Yankees struck out 17 times for the second straight game.“Obviously the performance tonight especially was terrible.
I like to try to be more positive than that, but you strike out four times and there were guys on base, really just a bad performance.[Monday] night was the same.“Probably swung at too many balls, taking strikes.
When I do swing at the right pitch, fouling it off or swing and missing.I’ll be ready to go [Wednesday] and every game, but there’s no excuses.
I have not played well.”Before this brutal nine-game stretch, which has coincided with some awful play from the Yankees overall, Goldschmidt was batting .301 with a .933 OPS through his first 55 games of the season.His consistent presence as a right-handed bat, especially with the Yankees missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, was immensely valuable.But the 38-year-old is now searching for answers on how to snap out of his recent funk.
“They beat me tonight, every time, badly,” Goldschmidt said.“You got to keep pushing and just be ready to go.
Can’t carry over any bad things, like for me individually, to the next day.I don’t feel like I’ve done that, but obviously the performance hasn’t been better.”José Caballero, who matched Goldschmidt with four strikeouts, started at shortstop for the second straight game, marking only his third start at the...