Gleyber Torres lifted the New York Yankees to a thrilling victory Sunday over the Texas Rangers with a walk-off home run to right field.
After the game, Rangers manager Chris Woodward also took aim at Yankee Stadium’s short porch.
“Small ballpark, that’s an easy out in 99% of ballparks. … [Torres] just happened to hit it in a little league ballpark to right field,” Woodward said after Texas’ 2-1 loss in the opener of a doubleheader.
It was the seventh career walk-off hit for Torres, who was asked about Woodward’s comments later Sunday after the completion of the doubleheader.
“I feel like both teams play in the same ballpark and it’s the same dimensions,” Torres told reporters, according to the New York Post. “I feel good to hit a walk-off homer in the little league ballpark — happy to win the first game.”
Torres’ opposite-field homer traveled an estimated 369 feet, according to MLB Statcast, and would have been a home run in 25 of the other 29 stadiums in Major League Baseball. The homer punctuated a cold game at Yankee Stadium, where runs were at a premium. The Rangers won the second game 4-2 later Sunday.
The Rangers, ironically, hit two homers to right field Sunday that were shorter than Torres’ blast. Kole Calhoun‘s game-tying solo shot in Game 1 traveled 355 feet, and Eli White‘s opposite-field solo homer in Game 2 only went 342 feet, according to Statcast.
Irony aside, Yankees manager Aaron Boone also pointed out that Woodward’s math was slightly off.
“His math’s wrong,” Boone said with a smile. “Ninety-nine percent is impossible. There’s only 30 parks.”
Woodward walked back his comments later Sunday after the doubleheader, calling Yankee Stadium a “cathedral” and saying his earlier dig about the ballpark’s dimensions was a “joke,” according to the New York Post.
Torres’ seven walk-off hits are most in the majors since 2018, and this was his second game-ending homer.
“The bigger the situation, it does seem like he ratchets the concentration level a bit,” Boone said. “Cold day out there, it was good to see him to stick one.”