KANSAS CITY – One night after stopping the longest homerless streak of his career, Hideki Matsui found himself in a strange spot in Joe Torre’s batting order.
Matsui – who had 75 at-bats in the No. 2 spot as a Yankee – didn’t figure to change his hitting style at the plate hitting behind leadoff hitter Derek Jeter and No. 3 hacker Gary Sheffield.
“Once I am at the plate I can’t change my approach,” said Matsui, who stopped a 180 at-bat homerless streak with a two-run homer Tuesday night. “If I get a sign, that’s a different story.”
Torre said he wouldn’t ask Matsui to bunt but wouldn’t shy away from giving him the hit-and-run sign.
Torre didn’t elevate Matsui from sixth Tuesday to second last night because of the homer. Matsui, who went 1-for-3 Tuesday was in a 4-for-18 (.222) funk going into last night’s action and batting .261 with four homers and 36 RBIs.
“He doesn’t change his approach where ever he hits,” Torre said of Matsui, who played right field Tuesday night and left last evening.
“We don’t want him to take pitches or give himself up. The reason he is up there is that hopefully hitting in front of Sheffield he will be protected. We have to get him back. He is too important to our lineup.”
Moving Matsui wasn’t the only adjustment Torre made with the lineup. Tony Womack, who was in a 4-for-27 (.148) slump, sat out.
Torre gave Ruben Sierra the start at DH. It was Sierra’s first start since April 17. Sierra was 0-for-6 as a pinch-hitter since returning from the DL on May 20.
Matsui wasn’t fearing the hit-and-run sign but he reacted to the bunt topic like he was allergic.
“Hit and run, yes,” Matsui said in English. Bunt? No.”
Later Matsui downplayed where he hit.
“The fact is that when they change the lineup it’s not that big of a deal,” Matsui said.