NEW YORK -- David Robertson fancies himself a pretty good batting practice hitter. But after reaching the on-deck circle on Wednesday afternoon, Robertson is glad to have left the heroics to Matt Albers.
In his first at-bat in seven years, Albers sparked a game-winning rally in a 2-1 White Sox victory over the New York Mets with a leadoff double in the 13th inning at Citi Field. Albers later ended an improbable trip around the bases by scoring on Jose Abreu's sac fly to center.
But it would have been Robertson's turn had Avisail Garcia singled or walked with two outs to extend the 12th inning.
"The only way I was going to hit was if he walked or singled," Robertson said. "If he had hit a double, (Dioner) Navarro was going to hit for me. He would have had a much better chance of driving in the run than I probably would have.
"It was nerve-wracking."
Robertson pitched two scoreless innings in the 548th game of his professional career, which began at Single-A Charleston in 2007. Not once in that span has Robertson ever had to grab a bat.
Robertson recently took part in a home-run hitting contest on the team's trip to Yankee Stadium last month, something he never was permitted to do while wearing Yankees pinstripes.
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But this wasn't batting practice.
A man short on the bench because of Austin Jackson's sore foot, White Sox manager Robin Ventura nearly had to turn to Robertson as he only had Navarro, his backup catcher, left on the bench along with a few starting pitchers. Robertson, who estimates his last at-bat occurred at Alabama in 2006, didn't get the chance as Garcia grounded out to short.
Instead, Albers started the 13th with an opposite-field bolt over the heads of the Mets outfield for a double. Robertson has seen Albers take a few hacks in spring training and contends Albers has the better swing. And he was more than happy to let his fellow reliever take a shot at Mets pitcher Logan Verrett.
"I’ve seen him take swings in spring training and I was really impressed," Robertson said. "Definitely smoother than mine.
"There’s a big difference between batting practice and actually hitting the ball -- when someone is feeding you one pitch after another where you can hit it.
"It was definitely better that Matt Albers took that at-bat."