NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo felt a little cooked this season, so he hired a personal chef. Revived by his new diet, Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line to boost the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night in their AL Division Series opener. He gave some of the credit to his nutrition.
“It’s made me feel a lot better, a lot more energized on a day-to-day basis and recovering a little bit better, less lethargic,” he said. New York won the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, behind Verdugo's bat and glove. In his first season since the Yankees acquired him from Boston, the chatty 28-year-old outfielder with the mood lamp in his locker was hitting .
266 on June 14 but went into a tailspin that coincided with the start of the Yankees' 39-38 slide. Verdugo batted .197 from then through August.
New York called up rookie outfielder Jasson Domínguez on Sept. 9 and Verdugo started just 11 more games. He finished with a .
233 average — his lowest in a full season — along with 13 homers and 61 RBIs. Yankees manager Aaron Boone wanted Verdugo in left field against Kansas City, partly because of his superior defense. “Just trusting that he’s going to be ready for the moment and his experience and his track record," Boone said.
“I know it’s been a little bit of an up-and-down tough second half for him off.