Matt Carpenter Focuses on Positives After Striking Out Four Times Against Astros

Carpenter's at-bats were uncompetitive against Houston on Wednesday night, a result of good pitching from the Astros and his long layoff from a foot injury.

Matt Carpenter's return to the Yankees' starting lineup was designed to bring some thump to the middle of the New York's order, an opportunity for the slugger to make an impact over several at-bats, not just one pinch-hit chance. 

Rather than recapturing his regular season form, however, Carpenter was part of the problem for the Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday night. 

The slugger went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a 4-2 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston. He's now 0-for-6 with six strikeouts in the postseason so far, his first six at-bats since returning from a fractured foot that he sustained back in early August. 

"I'm not gonna make excuses," Carpenter told reporters after the game. "I've got to find a way to have better at-bats. We're facing good pitching, but that's what's gonna happen when you get this far in the postseason, you're gonna face good pitching. Every time you step in the box, you're gonna face somebody who's really good. I gotta find a way. We as a club gotta find a way. We gotta have a short memory, forget about the way it went today and come out ready to go tomorrow."

To make matters worse, Carpenter's strikeouts came at key points in the game, a loss in which New York struck out 17 times and didn't have a hit with runners in scoring position. 

In the third, with Astros starter Justin Verlander still trying to find his rhythm, Carpenter stepped up to the plate with two men on and two out. He worked the count full, but was rung up on a fastball just off the inside corner.

Carpenter didn't agree with this strike 3 call pic.twitter.com/AZn4gfsGsr

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 20, 2022

Verlander was remarkable for Houston, striking out 11 batters and allowing just one run. Three of those punch outs came against Carpenter.

Carpenter singled out the veteran's command and the way he was able to spin his off-speed pitches, never making mistakes in the zone Carpenter game planned for.

"The way he threw the ball tonight, I could have played for the last two months and it would've been a tough day," he said. "He threw the ball really well, gotta give him some credit."

With the Yankees trying to mount a comeback, Carpenter had one last turn with two runners on, this time facing closer Ryan Pressly in the eighth. The 36-year-old swung through a curveball to end the threat before New York went down quietly in the ninth. 

"I obviously wasn't very good today, but we're going to try to take the positive out of it," Carpenter said. "I saw a lot of pitches. When my name is called the next time, hopefully, I feel like I'll be in a better spot."

New York moved mountains to get Carpenter into the starting lineup at designated hitter, giving Giancarlo Stanton a start in left field while holding rookie Oswaldo Cabrera on the bench. Seeing pitches is important for a player that missed two months with a broken foot, but in a best-of-seven series, you need to find your timing quickly. Otherwise, after a couple losses against a team like the Astros, it'll be too late. 

Carpenter wasn't the only one focusing on the positives from his four futile trips to the batter's box on Wednesday.

"It's a tough draw," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Carpenter facing Verlander and Pressly. "Hopefully it was valuable for him to just get some regular at-bats within the course of the game, that serves him and us well moving forward. We know what he can provide for us off the bench or when they're a DH start for us. Hopefully a tough night is something that can benefit us moving forward."

MORE:

• Aaron Boone Says Shortstop Will Be Daily Decision After Isiah Kiner-Falefa Returns to Lineup
• Aaron Boone Explains Ron Marinaccio’s Absence From ALCS Roster
• Gerrit Cole: Yankees Shouldn’t Expect Many Mistakes From Ex-Teammate Justin Verlander

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