Aaron Boone had an ace up his sleeve.
After the Tampa Bay Rays forced extra innings Wednesday with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees manager turned to red-hot Giancarlo Stanton to pinch-hit in the 10th.
And Stanton delivered, drilling a go-ahead two-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory.
“What a weapon to have over there at that point of the game,” Boone remarked afterward.
Indeed, Stanton has excelled as a pinch-hitter this season, adding an element to his game that wasn’t as necessary when he started every day.
Going into Thursday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx, Stanton was 4-for-7 (.571) with two home runs, six RBI, two walks and a 2.238 OPS as a pinch-hitter this year.
In his 15 seasons before this one, Stanton was 5-for-46 (.109) with seven RBI, seven walks and without a home run as a pinch-hitter in his career.
“I’m just getting ready to start the game, pretty much, so my mind doesn’t get turned off or let the game dictate my [mindset],” Stanton said after Wednesday’s heroics. “‘OK, now we’re up. Now we’re down.’ I’m gonna hit until the 27th out.”
The circumstances surrounding the Yankees’ roster currently prevent Stanton from being an everyday starter, as Aaron Judge remains restricted to DH duty as he recovers from a flexor strain in his right elbow.
That’s taken the primary DH role away from Stanton, who has returned to playing right field since Judge’s injury. And while Stanton was back to starting in the outfield on Thursday night, the Yankees don’t want to use him there every day.
Stanton did not play the field during last weekend’s three-game series in St. Louis, with Boone saying the 35-year-old slugger needed a little more time to bounce back physically. Stanton started in right field on Tuesday before coming off the bench on Wednesday.
The silver lining is that Boone can deploy Stanton — MLB’s active home run leader — in the game’s most crucial situations on the days he doesn’t start.
“He’s, mentally, an animal, and he knows that that’s part of his game now, to be available for big at-bats off the bench,” Boone said.
“In the past, when you guys would talk about [Stanton’s pinch-hit struggles], he was an everyday player, and he probably never did it, and it was a day off. Now, he’s getting ready for that big at-bat in a spot.”
Stanton, who has a history of lower-body injuries, missed more than two months to begin this season due to tennis elbow in both arms.
He’s been among the Yankees’ most dangerous hitters since returning, entering Thursday with a .311 average, 15 home runs, 40 RBI and a 1.031 OPS in 46 games.
It remains unclear when Judge will return to right field, with Boone saying there was no update Thursday.
Boone does not expect Stanton to start in the outfield on Friday, which means another pivotal pinch-hit opportunity could be on the horizon.
“Every pinch-hit is its own scenario, [its] own little algorithm, so you figure out how it goes,” Stanton said. “But as long as you’re prepared and on time, understand the situation in a short amount of time, you can do something good.”
Originally Published:
