VIDEO: Alex Rodriguez Recognizes Gio Urshela's 'Clutch Gene'
By Jerry Trotta
Gio Urshela personified another moment in earning his Pinstripes on Friday night when he ripped a walk-off RBI single to cap a Yankees three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to grab sole position of first place in the AL East. And the third-baseman's undeniable 'clutch gene' caught the eye of none other than Alex Rodriguez on FOX's late night MLB Whip Around. Have a look:
"He has the clutch gene." @AROD knows why Gio Urshela is one of the best players for the @Yankees right now. pic.twitter.com/OZhtAWHogg
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 18, 2019
"He has the clutch gene," said A-Rod. "You know, when somebody goes down, its somebody else's opportunity. What's interesting about the Yankees is that their depth is incredible. Who would've though that their best three players would be Urshela, DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit?"
Certainly not us, Alex. Certainly not us.
Even Nick Swisher heaped some praise on Urshela's behalf. "He's staying within himself, hitting the balls to all fields," said the former Yankee. "He's putting the ball in play and giving the Yankees quality at bats."
CC Sabathia said when Gio Urshela came up in the ninth, he said on the bench: “We got this. Turn the lights off.”
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) May 18, 2019
Even CC knows!
The bottom line is that this Pinstripe squad is special and Urshela's emergence epitomizes that notion. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.