So About Those Home Runs Yesterday

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

When Derek Jeter hit his solo HR in the bottom of the 1st yesterday, he didn't just add one more highlight to his career reel.  He did something, or should I say somethings, that hadn't been done by a Yankee hitter in way too long.  That homer yesterday was ...

• The first by a Yankee hitter period since the All Star break, a span of 9+ games dating back to the 7th inning of their game against the Twins on July 14th.
• The first by Jeter since September 9, 2012, when he hit one as the DH against the Baltimore Orioles.
• The first by a Yankee right-handed hitter since June 25th, when Jayson Nix homered off Yu Darvish.  That's a span of 477 PA in 28 games over more than a calendar month between righty HR.

When Alfonso Soriano snuck his 2-run homer off the right field wall in the 3rd, that span stretched back to May 23rd to find the last time the Yankees got 2 right-handed homers.  Think about that.  Prior to yesterday's game, the Yankees had hit just 2 right-handed home runs in over 2 months (and 900+ PA).  Yesterday they did it in less than 3 innings.

Helluva moment for Jeter, helluva game for Soriano, and a helluva win for the team.  But let those numbers serve as a reminder that this offense is still far from out of the woods.  It's going to be better with Jeter and Soriano in it, but there's still a long way to go.

P.S.- Soriano's HR was his first as a Yankee since September 28, 2003.  Wow.