Yankees' Voit Shows He's Far More Than Just a Power Hitter With First Five-Hit Game

SEATTLE — In more ways than one, Luke Voit's season has embodied that of the Yankees. 

He's seen his time on the injured list, dealing with some stretches where he's underperformed while trying to do too much. But as this team has shown periodically during this tumultuous campaign, individuals have the talent to break through on any given night. 

On Tuesday in Seattle, Voit had a game to remember, slapping five hits in a single contest for the very first time in his big-league career. The slugger's five-hit night—featuring a double and four singles—helped pave the way to a rout at T-Mobile Park, a 12-1 victory to start an incredibly important road trip with a bang. 

"He's huge for us," said manager Aaron Boone. "Just adding the length, the tough at-bats he brings. He did a good job using the field tonight. He hasn't used right field a lot here in the last week or so and right away, he goes the other way for a hit that way, hits the double off the fence that way, so good to see him using the whole field."

It didn't take long for Voit to show that he was on his game against the Mariners on Tuesday night. In the first inning, the first baseman cracked a sharp single off Seattle's left-hander Justus Sheffield. One frame later, Voit ripped a two-run base hit to left, putting New York in front 6-0 and ending Sheffield's night after just 1.2 innings pitched. 

Voit was retired in the fourth, grounding out to first, but he had three hits left in the tank. An RBI single with the bases juiced in the fifth put the Bombers ahead 9-0. Then, a double off the right-field wall was Voit's fourth hit on the evening.

Finally, in garbage time, Voit looped a two-out knock to shallow right in the ninth. In his 308th career game—halfway through his fifth season in the big leagues—Voit had the first five-hit game of his career. 

After the win, Voit expanded on his manager's comment about hitting the ball the other way. 

For a player that led the league in homers last season, Voit sometimes has the propensity to swing out of his shoes, trying to hit bombs to his pull side. He's certainly capable of cranking out tape-measure shots, but nights like Tuesday prove that Voit is far more than just a home run hitter. 

"Finally hitting the ball over to right field. I had three over there tonight and just haven't been staying in my legs very well," Voit said. "Just going up there confident and I've always been a great opposite field hitter and I just was getting really pull happy and coming out and rolling balls over, so tonight was really good and I felt healthy."

Going 5-for-6 certainly helped Voit's numbers on the season as well. The slugger is now hitting .237/.302/.381 (23-for-97) on the season with three homers, 12 runs scored and 10 RBI. 

He's only played in 25 games thus far after two separate stints on the injured list, but considering how healthy Voit feels now, he's poised to stick it out for the second half and continue to contribute in this (at times) potent starting lineup. 

MORE:

• Bombers' Bats Pummel Ex-Yankees Prospect Justus Sheffield, Mariners in Blowout Win
• Yankees Place Darren O'Day Back on Injured List
• Wobbly Yankees Up Against Tough Schedule Before, After All-Star Break

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