Swisher, who has started all eight postseason games thus far, has been as bad as can be. That hadn’t been much of an issue until Thursday, when the problem manifested itself in the game’s most crucial moment.
Swisher stepped in with the bases loaded and the tying run on third base in the top of the ninth, yet after working the count full, Swisher popped up weakly to the shortstop, forcing a Game 6 at Yankee Stadium.
The truth is, for many Yankees fans, the result was already known before Swisher even dug his cleats into the box. At that point, Swisher had already been 0-for-4. He left Robinson Cano at third base in the seventh inning, ending the Yankees’ rally. He had just three hits in his previous 28 at-bats, and by the end of the night, his career postseason average stood at .151.
“I really don’t know what I’m thinking right now,” Swisher told The Los Angeles Times. “Just try to forget about it as quick as I can. It’s frustrating.”
While he may not cost the Yankees a World Series, he does represent a major flaw for the team with baseball’s highest payroll. With limited options off the bench, Swisher needs to find success. If he can, winning the World Series seems like a guarantee. If he can’t, then a repeat of Thursday night’s Game 5 could very well come back to haunt New York.
