Yankees' rookie Jorbit Vivas hits first MLB home run, and it proves to be a game-winner

NEW YORK - A baseball that flew an estimated 360 feet in the Bronx will soon travel to Venezuela.

"First thing I did was call my mom,'' said Yankees rookie Jorbit Vivas, after his first big-league home run was the difference in a 1-0 win against the Texas Rangers at windy, raw Yankee Stadium.

Back home in Puerto Cabello, Vivas’ family has followed each of his 17 big-league games. “They’ve been there for me since I was a little kid,’’ he said through an interpreter.

So, at some point, “I’ll take it back home to Venezuela, give it to my family,'' Vivas said of the prized baseball retrieved by Stadium security.

On an overcast and unseasonably cool Thursday afternoon, Vivas jumped on Nathan Eovaldi's first-pitch fastball leading off the fifth inning and launched it into the lower right field stands.

That helped the first-place Yankees (30-19) complete a 5-1 home stand, sweeping the Rangers (25-26) in a three-game set for the first time since 2021.

Yankees' Jorbit Vivas gains playing time

Eovaldi was locked in a pitchers' duel with Yankee lefty Carlos Rodon when Vivas connected.

"My first at-bat (resulting in catcher's interference) he threw me a couple fastballs, and I was looking for something high in the zone, ready to hit,'' said Vivas, batting .319 with two homers in 26 games at Triple-A on May 2, when the Yankees summoned him from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

As the ball sailed over the right field wall, "so many things are going through my head in that moment,'' said Vivas. "My first one, finally. Very excited and happy about it.''

The lefty-hitting Vivas drew Thursday's start at second base, with veteran DJ LeMahieu getting a rest from the starting lineup ahead of a three-city Western road trip that begins Friday night at Colorado.

LeMahieu wound up pinch-hitting for Vivas in the seventh inning, against a lefty reliever.

Yet, Vivas is expected to see increased starting time, along with Oswald Peraza, with Oswaldo Cabrera likely out for the season due to a left ankle fracture suffered last week at Seattle.

"It's special. You're helping your team win,'' said Vivas, just the fourth Yankee to help them to a 1-0 victory via home run in the last 15 seasons.

"And from day one, that’s’ what I'm trying to do here – find a way to help this team win any way possible.''

Watch Jorbit Vivas' first career home run

Yankees' efficient pitching starts with Carlos Rodon

Boosted at times by solid defense by Peraza at third base and Cody Bellinger in right field, Rodon lowered his seasonal ERA to 2.88 with six scoreless innings, yielding just two hits and two walks, with eight strikeouts.

"It's been a lot of really good,'' manager Aaron Boone said of Rodon, now 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA over his last seven starts, posting a 1.48 ERA.

In fact, Yankees starters in this Gerrit Cole-less season (elbow surgery), and with Luis Gil (lat strain) sidelined probably until July, have posted a stellar 2.68 ERA in 34 starts since April 14.

"Efficient, just getting ahead of guys,'' said Rodon, whose fastball-slider combo was especially effective. And he was even tougher when Escarra began calling for more curveballs and sliders later on.

"Now, he has four pitches he can use at any time,'' said Escarra, the 30-year-old rookie who played another unsung role for a club that has won 11 of its last 14 games.

Eovaldi also exited after six innings, and both bullpens fought to a draw as the Yankees (30-19) received a scoreless inning apiece from Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams and Luke Weaver (seventh save).

Luke Weaver works a third straight game

Due to his low pitch counts, Luke Weaver got the ninth inning call for a third straight day – a rarity for Boone’s bullpen.

“Being efficient sometimes is really good. It allows you to be available,’’ said Weaver, emerging with two saves and a win against Texas.

Tuesday’s save was a one-batter, two-pitch effort.

Weaver followed another sharp eighth inning from Devin Williams, with two groundouts and a strikeout against Texas' top of the order.

Removed from the closer's role in late April, Williams has rediscovered his signature 'Airbender' changeup and hasn't yielded a run in his last seven outings, and 10 of his last 11.

All told, Weaver threw just 18 pitches during the Texas sweep, as many pitches as Mark Leiter Jr. did in escaping his own seventh-inning jam Thursday.

“I didn’t throw a lot of pitches, so I didn’t really have an excuse,’’ said Weaver, who also referenced Fernando Cruz (shoulder) going to the injured list Thursday.

“This is a collective effort (and we) want to make sure we pick each other up.’’