NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Berti looked like a Gold Glove winner in his first professional game at first base.
Forced to use backups following Anthony Rizzo’s injury, the New York Yankees started Berti at first base in Monday night’s 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals that evened their AL Division Series at one game apiece.
Berti made a clean pickup of Yuli Gurriel’s tricky second-inning squibber over the bag, then a diving stab for an unassisted double play in the sixth to save at least one run — maybe two.
“I thought he was great over there tonight and at the plate,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Berti sprawled for a backhand catch on pinch-hitter MJ Melendez’s 105.3 mph liner in the sixth, popped to his feet and stepped on first to double up Michael Massey for an inning-ending double play.
“Just reacted to it, obviously, and glad we’re able to get out of that and give ourselves a chance moving forward,” Berti said.
Berti went 1 for 4 with a strikeout, hitting a pair of flyouts and a ninth-inning single.
“Berti’s an athlete,” Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “Just like me, you can put him on any part of the field. He’s going to make plays.”
Acquired from Miami just before opening day, Berti hit .273 in 25 games and 66 at-bats for the Yankees this year while playing second, third and left.
A 34-year-old veteran of seven big league season, Berti had no experience at first base besides the final three innings of a spring training game when Miami played Washington on March 25, 2021. He caught the throw from third baseman Joe Dunand on Jordy Mercer’s eighth-inning grounder for his one putout.
With Rizzo sidelined by a pair of fractured fingers, Oswaldo Cabrera started at first in the Yankees’ 6-5 win Saturday in the series opener, going 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and making several sparkling defensive plays.
New York rookie Ben Rice, who played at first while Rizzo was sidelined with a broken right forearm from mid-June through August, was another option on the Yankees roster.