CLEVELAND — Anthony Rizzo made four errors across 92 games last season and is typically a steady hand at first base.
But the Yankees’ veteran, a four-time Gold Glove winner, had an uncharacteristic day with two fielding errors Sunday in an 8-7 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field.
That now has his tally up to four errors through 16 games this season.
“[He’s] been OK,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Usually he’s so good. He’s probably not scooped a couple balls over at first that he typically would. But I think that’s just a couple plays. I expect the same elite defense we usually get.”
Neither error led to a run, but they forced Nestor Cortes to throw some extra pitches on a day when he only lasted four-plus innings on 94 pitches.
Rizzo made up for it in the 10th inning when he delivered a two-run single to give the Yankees a 7-5 lead, though it was still not enough to complete a sweep of the Guardians.
Rizzo’s first error came in the first inning, when he dropped a low throw from third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera.
Then in the second inning, he ranged to his right for Andres Gimenez’s ground ball that ate him up, though it would have been a close play at first with Cortes covering even if Rizzo had fielded it cleanly.
“We got a lot of special players around that infield, especially starting at first base with a guy like Anthony Rizzo, a Platinum Glove winner,” Aaron Judge said after two more defensive miscues by Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the 10th. “Days like today happen. Gotta learn from it and move on. I think everybody on this team knows that’s one of our strengths is our infield defense and what they can do. So just gotta move on.”
Nestor Cortes has been known to pull a few tricks out of his sleeve, but even for him this was new.
On an 0-2 pitch to Gimenez in the second inning, Cortes stalled in the middle of his delivery but then added in a pump fake before throwing a sweeper that Gimenez fouled off.
“Nothing is really planned when I go out there,” Cortes said. “That’s kind of what I just thought of in the moment. Thought it was kind of funny, kind of worked for me.”
Cortes’ high pitch count knocked him out of the game after four-plus innings.
The Guardians fouled off 26 pitches but the lefty also said he tried to be too fine with the corners and wasn’t getting enough early contact in play.
“I thought he ran out of gas,” Boone said.
DJ LeMahieu’s rehab assignment could begin by the end of the week.
The veteran third baseman will continue on to Toronto with the Yankees for their three-game series, but Boone indicated that LeMahieu could be in line to play in rehab games after they return to The Bronx.
“I think that’s very possible,” Boone said. “When we get back from Toronto, I think that’s probably in play.”
LeMahieu has been sidelined since fouling a ball off his right foot and suffering a non-displaced fracture on March 16.
Austin Wells took ground balls and throws at first base before Sunday’s game.
The rookie catcher has impressed the Yankees with his defense as part of a tandem with Jose Trevino, but with Cabrera now handling everyday third-base duties, the Yankees lack a backup first baseman behind Rizzo.