For parts of six seasons, Gary Sánchez was a Yankees mainstay.
Friday night, he provided a flashback to his days in pinstripes.
The former Yankee delivered one of the night’s crucial hits—a two-run single that propelled the Orioles to a 5-3 victory in The Bronx, further aggravating the Yankees’ ongoing difficulties.
In the first inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, he connected with a 2-2 Max Fried sweeper, sending it into left field and driving in two runs. By the fifth inning, his single contributed to a rally, allowing the Orioles to tie the game at three.
“It’s a great feeling to return here after having spent so many years in this stadium,” Sánchez said through a translator. “I know the stadium really well, and playing here feels like home.”
“It feels good because we got the victory; because we got the win; not because it was against them. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It just feels good to get that hit there and get the win.”
Sánchez has bounced around since leaving the Yankees following the 2021 season. The Orioles are his sixth team, with previous stints on the Twins, Mets, Padres and Brewers.
He had only flashed the power that he was known for as a Yankee since his departure.
He wasn’t having a great season so far this year, raising his slash line to .205/.294/.341 with a .635 OPS after Friday. At least that’s when the veteran catcher made an impact against his old team.
“I would say it’s pretty normal, every time I come back,” he said. “I just like playing here. You see the ball pretty well and it’s a really good stadium.”
When Sánchez walked to the plate for his first at-bat, there were boos.
He didn’t hear them.
“I was so focused on that at-bat,” said Sánchez, who hit 138 home runs as a Yankee with an .804 OPS. “I’m trying to focus on what I need to do, that I didn’t hear what they were doing or what they wanted to do.”
