Moved into 3 hole, Jones rewards faith by fueling Yankees' outburst

NEW YORK -- There’s a few ways to characterize the decision to start Spencer Jones at the No. 3 spot in the lineup against the Mariners on Wednesday night, but the word that first comes to mind is “belief.”

With both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger sidelined in June and late July, respectively, Jones has received considerable run at the corner outfield spots, and up to this point, he's been slotted in the back half of the Yankees’ lineup.

Jones’ most recent stint in the Majors has been considerably smoother than the stretch after his initial callup on May 8 -- thanks to a more consistent run of games in June and July -- but he entered Wednesday evening hitting just .129 in nine games in August (35 plate appearances).

Nevertheless, after manager Aaron Boone wrote Jones’ name into the third spot, the lanky slugger rewarded him with two doubles and three RBIs (with a hit-by-pitch and stolen base for good measure), his second career multi-extra-base-hit game, in the Yankees' 10-5 win over the Mariners.

“I think the game slows down on your own terms as long as you are able to recognize that it’s speeding up on you, right?” Jones said before the game. “I think the thing that helps the most is the familiar faces and getting to know these guys in Spring Training, knowing that we’re all pulling the same rope.

“I think as you settle and recognize the ways you can help the team win, a lot of things slow down for you. But just having the people you know and trust helps a lot.”

Jones combined with Trent Grisham (who homered twice and doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning) and Ben Rice for eight RBIs to help New York secure the series victory. The offensive outburst from the top of the order helped carry the Yankees to their fourth consecutive comeback win.

It wasn’t just the clutch timing of Jones’ swings that was encouraging, but also the direction of his spray chart. After the Mariners staked out a three-run lead in the third inning, Jones came up with two outs and two on following Rice’s walk. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Jones sliced a fastball at the bottom of the zone off the left-field wall -- with a 102.2 mph exit velocity -- to bring the Yankees within a run.

Then, following Grisham’s solo blast and Rice’s double in the fifth frame, Jones jumped another fastball from starter Bryce Miller, crushing it off the base of the right-center-field wall to tie the score at 5. This heater came on the first pitch of the at-bat, leaving Jones’ bat at an exit velocity of 105.9 mph.