The New York Yankees fell 5-1 to the Houston Astros on Thursday night, dropping two of three games in the series.
Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. continued to struggle defensively, committing his sixth consecutive error over the last six games.
He won’t have much time to dwell on it, though, as the Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox in a massive four-game series beginning Friday.
Ahead of the series, Lombard Jr. made it clear after Thursday’s loss that he knows he needs to be better.
Lombard Jr.’s Postgame Comments
“It’s something you’re trying to figure out. Obviously, it’s not acceptable. It can’t happen at this level. You know, if you make the pitchers have to get extra outs, it just makes it way harder on us, and teams are going to capitalize. So, something we’re definitely going to have to clean up, and I gotta be better tomorrow,” Lombard Jr. said.
Lombard Jr. also made it clear that he doesn’t feel like he’s pressing or trying to change anything. He simply hasn’t played up to his standards lately.
“I’m going out and playing my game every day. Obviously, the last few days I haven’t been what I wanted to be, but it’s baseball. We’re going to have another game tomorrow, so I have to be better tomorrow.”
Lombard Jr. addresses his struggles on defense and looks ahead to the rivalry series against Boston. pic.twitter.com/zxBtV8KfZX
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 28, 2026
Lombard Jr.’s Stats Since Making MLB Debut
Since his Aug. 4 call-up, Lombard Jr. has been a pleasant surprise outside of his recent defensive skid.
He recorded eight defensive runs saved across his first 11 games, already ranking him among the top shortstops in that category despite his significantly smaller sample size.
At the plate, he’s batting .265 with 12 runs, 18 hits, two home runs and six RBIs. He’s also slugging .368 with a .688 OPS.
Yankees’ George Lombard Jr. Makes Statement on Struggles Before Red Sox Series