Lombard makes some dubious history after 6th straight game with error

NEW YORK -- When the Yankees were weighing George Lombard Jr.’s promotion to the Majors, their only questions seemed to be at the plate. They knew the exciting shortstop could solidify their defense, with general manager Brian Cashman saying more than once that he expected the youngster to be “plug and play” in the field.

That’s what makes Lombard’s current defensive slump so perplexing. The 21-year-old top prospect committed an error for the sixth consecutive game on Thursday, seeing an eighth-inning run cross in the Yankees’ 5-1 loss to the Astros at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s something I’m trying to figure out,” Lombard said. “Obviously, it’s not acceptable. It can’t happen at this level. If you make your pitchers have to get extra outs, it just makes it way harder on us, and other teams are going to capitalize. It’s something we’re definitely going to have to clean up.”

Ultimately, the play on which Lombard committed the error didn’t figure prominently in the outcome. Facing Justin Topa, Yainer Diaz chopped a slow bouncer to the left side that Lombard couldn’t scoop.

Third baseman José Caballero grabbed the bobble and fired errantly to first -- a second error on the play, as Christian Walker scored Houston’s fifth run.

But Lombard’s six consecutive games with an error tied a franchise record, last done more than a century ago by Chick Fewster of the 1921 Yankees. The last player to do it in all six games as a Yankees shortstop was Roger Peckinpaugh in July 1915.

League-wide, no player has committed errors in six straight since shortstop Mark Lewis did it in 1992 with Cleveland, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“The good thing about George is, he’s so skilled and gifted out there, and foundationally he’s really good, too,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He will get through it. You’ve just got to get a few going and then start playing carefree and easy a little bit.”

As long as we’re digging through the history books, Peckinpaugh went on to win the World Series and a Most Valuable Player Award. It’s worth remembering how fresh this is in Lombard’s career; Thursday marked his 20th game in the Majors, and he committed just one error through his first 14.

“Errors happen, unfortunately. Sometimes they happen in groups for everybody,” Gerrit Cole said. “I think it’s just important to remember he’s a young player and he’s working his tail off to get better.”

The miscues have come in different flavors. On Wednesday, Lombard had a 105.2 mph Walker grounder smack against the heel of his glove. Tuesday was a throwing error on a Jose Altuve infield single that Jazz Chisholm Jr. knocked down.

In the Blue Jays series over the weekend, there were a couple of fumbled grounders and a dropped foul popup. Chisholm said he has counseled his locker neighbor on the topic.

“I think he’s handling it great, honestly,” Chisholm said. “For a kid that age, 21 years old, first time in the league and playing for the Yankees in New York -- the way he’s going about it, it doesn’t really faze him when he’s out there. He’s looking for the next pitch to go make the next play.”

Lombard said he’s been through stretches like this before, and there is only one way out.

“You just keep working,” Lombard said. “We’ve got to talk and figure out what’s going on, if there’s anything we see with the coaching staff and the guys. You just try to figure out what it is and then keep working.”

Lombard did contribute one of the Yankees’ loudest hits of the night on Thursday, a sixth-inning triple to the loading dock in left-center field off Steven Okert.

The Yanks were largely silenced by Hayden Wesneski, who held them to a run on three hits over five-plus innings, with Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly accounting for the scoring.

Houston tagged Cole for three runs over six frames, the ace’s first start against his former club since the 2022 AL Championship Series. Jeremy Peña hit a seventh-inning homer off Yerry De los Santos as the Astros pulled away.

Now the Yankees will look ahead to a four-game showdown against the Red Sox, which not only represents a series with postseason implications, but will mark Lombard’s introduction to the game’s oldest rivalry.

Lombard said he’s “excited” about the chance and that his confidence hasn’t been shaken. In fact, there might be no better stage to snap the streak and change the conversation.

“My main focus is turn the page and want the next ball hit to you and make the next play,” Lombard said.