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| [ PHOTO: NEWSDAY ] |
Peter Solari
Once the rain finally subsided on Mother's Day, the Yankees brought the thunder!
After a nearly three hour rain delay at Yankee Stadium, Giancarlo Stanton went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, as the Yankees rolled to a 6-2 victory over the struggling Oakland A's Sunday to complete a 7-2 home-stand. New York has now won seven straight series', and remains tied with the rival Red Sox for the best record in baseball at 28-12.
"I'm really excited where we're at, but it's a long, long way to go," manager Aaron Boone said of his Yankees, after the game.
Coming up with the bases loaded in the first inning, Stanton got his day started by delivering a two-RBI single off Oakland starter Brett Anderson, scoring Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge. Aaron Hicks added his first of two RBIs on the day with a single later in the inning, giving the Yankees an early 3-0 lead.
[ VIDEO CREDIT: YES NETWORK ]
After adding a second single in the third inning, Stanton launched his 10th homer of the season into the bullpen in right-center field in the fifth, making this the first time in the Yankees' historic history that four players have have at least 10 home runs in the first 40 games. Only the 2003 Texas Rangers, with Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett, Alex Rodriguez. and Rafael Palmeiro, had accomplished that feat until now. Judge, Didi Gregorius, and Gary Sanchez are the other Yankees with double-digit home runs this season.
[ VIDEO CREDIT: YES NETWORK ]
Staff ace Luis Severino continued his winning ways by battling through six tough innings, striking out seven and surrendering just one run on five hits, to improve to 6-1 and tie the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber of the Indians, for the league lead in wins.
"Talk about grinding through it," Boone said of his starter. "Proud of his effort on not necessarily his best day. That's why he's become a really special pitcher."
Stanton capped his day in the seventh inning by slugging a double into left field for the 999th hit of his career, leaving him one short of a milestone. The Bronx Bombers' key offseason acquisition is now batting .252 with 10 homers, 26 RBIs, and a .339 OBP in his first season in the Bronx, much of which has been a struggle for him.
Judge's RBI single in the eighth, which scored Miguel Andujar, accounted for the rest of New York's scoring.
For the A's. who have now lost five of six, a Jed Lowrie RBI single off Severino in the fifth, and a late Mark Canha home run off Yankees reliever Chasen Shreve, were all the runs they could muster.
After a day off on Monday, the Yankees will return to action Tuesday when they open an eight game road trip in our nation's capital against Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals. Here are the expected pitching matchups for the two-game series in DC:
Tuesday May 15, 2018, 7:05 PM, Nationals Park, Washington, DC
NYY: Masahiro Tanaka (4-2, 4.66 ERA) @ WSH: Gio Gonzalez (4-2, 2.22 ERA)
Wednesday May 16, 2018, 7:05 PM, Nationals Park, Washington, DC
NYY: CC Sabathia (2-0, 2.23 ERA) @ Max Scherzer (7-1, 1.61 ERA)
BONUS:
Watch Dellin Betances channel his inner-ninja with an amazing behind-the-back stab to rob a hit in the eighth inning on Sunday. Video courtesy of the YES Network.
