How slow can you go? Rays, Yanks trade prolonged HR trots

NEW YORK -- Randy Arozarena and Jose Siri prompted a few rounds of Bronx cheers on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, slowly circling the bases after going deep in the Rays’ 6-4 win.

But that was merely the opening act for the slow race around the bases that broke out between Siri and Juan Soto during the Yankees’ 9-1 win in Monday’s series finale.

Siri once more drew the ire of fans at Yankee Stadium when he broke up starter Carlos Rodón’s no-hit bid with a solo shot to right field with one out in the fifth inning, with fans booing as he celebrated.

“That's just what they do. You can't control that,” Siri said through Rays interpreter Manny Navarro. “For me, it's more of a personal thing. But for them, I don't control that.”

It took Siri an even 30 seconds to touch home plate. He watched the ball fly, walked out of the batter’s box, flipped his bat and slowed down to celebrate before touching third, as the Rays always do after going deep.

“That was normal,” Siri said. “I was just trying to have fun with my teammates in the dugout, and that's just what happened.”

Siri’s not kidding, either. His average home run trot this season has been 29.3 seconds, tied for the second-longest mark in the Majors behind Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna. (He’s tied with Arozarena, coincidentally.) Siri’s 32.6-second trot on Sunday was actually even longer.

And it was a special occasion, after all, as Siri was celebrating his 29th birthday on Monday with his 14th home run of the season.

“It is what it is. He hit that ball well,” Rodón said. “He can run as slow or as fast as he wants.”

And Soto made Siri look like he was in a hurry when he led off the seventh inning with a 112.1 mph, Statcast-projected 424-foot blast high and deep down the right-field line. Soto watched the ball and leaned to his left as the ball flew toward the pole, then he broke into a deliberate jog when it was ruled fair.

At 37.7 seconds, Soto’s trot was the slowest in the Majors this year, the third slowest of the past five years and eight seconds slower than any other trip around the bases he has taken this year.

There were two reasons for that, Soto said.

First: “I was just trying to make sure it was a fair ball. I was literally pulling with everything that I have to stay fair. So definitely, it was fun to see it and definitely got the homer.”

Second: “You know, hot weather. Tough day. Tried to save the hammies and make sure I go nice and easy.”

Speaking before Monday’s game about the reaction to Arozarena and Siri on Sunday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged it’s just part of the game now.

“It's a new world. I look away sometimes. That's part of it,” Boone said. “Guys are going to do what they do. It's on us, each individual, to handle themselves how you want. If somebody doesn't like it, it's on us to keep them in the ballpark.”

Siri and Rays manager Kevin Cash said they weren’t bothered at all by Soto’s lengthy jog. Soto didn’t seem too bothered by Tampa Bay’s actions, either.

“It's just part of the game. At the end of the day, I don't know what they're doing,” Soto said. “I don't know what they have back there. But I know from this side, we always come out and play hard every day and try to respect our teammates and the other teams, too.”

Soto went deep again in the eighth, blasting a 114.9 mph, three-run shot off reliever Kevin Kelly -- the hardest-hit homer of his career.

And, for what it’s worth, that trot took Soto only 24.2 seconds.