Yankees first baseman Luke Voit rocked two home runs in a 10-1 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
NEW YORK — Yankees first baseman Luke Voit jumped in the air and smashed forearms with Gary Sanchez, the way Voit’s hero, Mark McGwire, celebrated home runs.
Voit, a boulder of a man, keeps his top button unbuttoned, a silver chain and a whole lot of chest hair popping out when he gets jacked up.
Don’t expect it to change. The Yankees’ hair policy only covers the face below the mustache and the head.
“I’ve always worn no undershirt and I’ve always let the top button go,” he said, smiling. “Let the chest hair hang, baby.”
Voit further cemented himself as the Yankees’ starter with a two-homer, 4-for-4 night in a 10-1 laugher over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
Voit went deep in the fourth inning and in the sixth inning off Red Sox starting pitcher David Price, both to right field. The former was a solo shot, the latter a two-run job
They were Nos. 8 and 9 for Voit since he joined the Yankees in a trade just before the deadline. The deal sent the Yankees Voit, mostly a career minor-leaguer, and $1 million in international bonus cash and landed the St. Louis Cardinals a pair of relievers: Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos.
Voit is hitting .323 and has 20 RBI. He’s grabbed the spot from the struggling Greg Bird (.195 BA, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 79 G). It appears its his to lose with the playoffs just 11 games away.
“It’s unbelievable, man,” Voit said of the “Luke” chants at the stadium while he rounded the bases. “It doesn’t get better than that.
“One of the guys in (the dugout) was like, I’m jealous you get a Luke chant, I don’t get a chant like that.’ It’s unbelievable, especially around the bases, because I know my heart’s racing. That’s honestly part of why I bring all that enthusiasm out, too. The fans got my back. They want to see that. Who doesn’t like home runs? That’s why guys come to the park.”
Manager Aaron Boone said Voit has played “into a prominent role for our team.”
“I give our front office a lot of credit for identifying him as someone they really felt like — maybe undervalued isn’t the right word but believed that all the underlying things suggested this guy could be a really good hitter and we kind of had a need, honestly, especially when we were beaten up and he came over here and has been a spark just from what he brings everyday and obviously the great production he’s provided,” Boone said. “It’s been huge for us. He played his way into a prominent role for our team, and he’s deserved that.”
Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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