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NEW YORK – The No. 1 Yankees, Justus Sheffield, has been living in a Midtown Manhattan hotel since her status changed this week for a first big leaguer.
The 22-year-old southpaw felt like a New Yorker who took the subway to Yankee Stadium for his first games.
Nobody recognized him.
"I guess they do not know me yet," Sheffield said with a smile Wednesday night after her exciting and unprecedented debut in the majors.
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The Yankees fans know Sheffield, and the Bleacher Creatures welcomed him into the majors with a call-like vocals from the right field in the ninth inning.
The serenade on Jusss-tus Shefff's field was about as strong as that of Luke Voit's two circuits, and the guy on the mound who was struggling to calm his nerves listened to him and liked him.
"The fans were great," said the 6-foot, 200-pounder. "I even heard my name." They were singing, "That's how I knew I was not really locked up because I heard the fans." But that was awesome."
The arrival was great for Sheffield too, but that shooting started almost nil before Mookie Betts, the MVP AL's favorite, found himself in a double game loaded with bases.
Sheffield was nervous when he returned to the mound and during his scoreless run, in which he shot only nine shots in 21 shots.
"The first thing I thought was not going to the mound," Sheffield said. "Just do not stumble." Once I got out, I felt like when I got on the mound everything was going to calm down a bit, but nerves and adrenaline were rising.
A single, one-out one-out walk has loaded the bases with one for Betts, the only Red Sox player Sheffield knows personally.
Betts is from Nashville. Sheffield comes from the suburbs and they sometimes see themselves training in the same gym during the off season.
Before Betts entered the batter's box, he nodded to Sheffield, who nodded.
So it was on.
"I was trying to install it," Sheffield said. "(Shortstop) Didi (Gregorius) was there telling me to slow down," I'm breathing. "That's what I just did, I knew that sooner or later if I continued to do it, I would make the right choice, these guys would get out if I made the right choice. "
Sheffield pitched at Betts last March in a grapefruit league match in Fort Myers, Fla., And accompanied him.
This time, Sheffield fell behind 3-1, then launched a low and inner corner slider that Betts crashed left. Fortunately for Sheffield, the blast had a devastating effect instead of going to the trade fair for a grand slam.
"Fortunately, he's a little hooked," Sheffield said. "If it hits a house, I would not have been too happy."
Sheffield's next throw was good, a 94-mph fast-pitched ball in the outside corner.
Betts had to swing or ring, and he hit a ball on the ground for short. Gregorius chose it, returned to second baseman Ronald Torreyes, who threw to Voit early, and that Yankees win – and his first outing to Sheffield – was in the books.
Sheffield was relieved, ecstatic … and momentarily unaware of the end of the game.
"It was crazy because I was getting ready to go to the dugout for another round because I'm not used to closing the matches," said Sheffield, 7-5 with an ERA of 2, 48. and Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes-Barre. "It was cool though – it was the first time I closed a match, so it was unbelievable." "I was happy to have the double play and I'm sure it was a good thing. get out."
Sheffield has been a starting pitcher throughout his career and it's still his future, but the Yankees wanted him to prove himself in major tournaments this year and they thought the best way to to do was to relieve.
He was transferred from the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre rotation to his paddock in August to get ready, and he played seven playoff games at the end of the season – the last three in the international playoffs – before being called on Tuesday. .
A day later, Sheffield had a scoreless run over his big league resume, as well as memories of a lot of anxiety that would not go away. Half an hour after the match, he was still there while Sheffield's post-match interview was coming to an end.
"I'm still nervous," Sheffield said with a sly smile. "Honestly, I can not even describe it – there was so much emotion in my head before and when I was out there – there was a lot of excitement and a lot of nerves."
Randy Miller can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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