DJ LeMahieu may come across as unassuming and reserved, but he was full of emotion on Friday night.
And why not? The Yankees, who have been racking up wins despite missing several key stars, were hosting the Red Sox in front of a lively Bronx crowd, and LeMahieu had himself another big night, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI as the Yanks won, 4-1.
When LeMahieu -- whom the Yankees signed to a two-year, $24 million deal over the winter -- tied the game 1-1 in the third inning with an RBI double, he clapped emphatically after popping up from his slide into second base.
He certainly seems to be enjoying the run he's on. He's hitting .317 for the season, and over his last 29 games, LeMahieu is hitting .347 with five homers, five doubles, 22 RBI and 24 runs.
"If you watch DJ, he's certainly quiet and business-like, all true. But he'll show some emotion on the field," Aaron Boone said of LeMahieu. "I've seen a number of times where he'll come up and he's pumping his fist. He's out there to rip your heart out. He plays with an edge, and I think he does love being in this environment.
"I even said to him maybe before his last at-bat, I'm like, 'How are you enjoying this environment?' And he's like, 'Yes.' So, good to see him go out there and really kind of set the tone for us offensively tonight."
When the Yankees signed LeMahieu, many were wondering how they were going to get him enough at-bats. But the 2016 MLB batting champion has become indispensable for this banged-up Yankees team, and he relished playing in what he said was a playoff-like atmosphere Friday.
"Yeah, absolutely. Playing these guys is obviously always a big game, but the crowd was into it and it was a great night out there," LeMahieu said.
As for ripping hearts out, LeMahieu didn't exactly agree with his manager.
"I don't know about that," LeMahieu said with a smile.