They used to boo Giancarlo Stanton here, not so long ago. The Yankees slugger, who was booed in his first day in pinstripes back in 2018, would get the quick reaction boos whenever he struck out.
Wednesday night, however, it was Stanton’s bat that stopped the booing. In the second night of the Astros taking heat from the Bronx crowd because of their cheating scandal, Stanton’s three hits and four RBI got Yankees Stadium rocking and powered the Bombers to a 6-3 win over Houston in front of a crowd of 9,895.
It was a season-high fifth straight win for the Yankees (16-14) and they clinched their fourth series win of the season. They go for their second straight sweep of a series Thursday afternoon.
In the second night of the Astros Shame Tour’s stop in the Bronx, the crowd wasn’t quite as vicious as Tuesday. Still, the crowd rode Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman with naughty-word chants and boos.
Stanton, however, sent them home smiling.
He hit his second home run in as many games and had his sixth multi-hit game in his last seven games. His second-inning two-run homer not only gave the Yankees a lead, but it extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games, dating back to April 23. In that span, Stanton has raised his batting average from .158 to .314. He’s hit .500 with five homers and 10 RBI during the streak.
Stanton’s fifth inning double scored Brett Gardner, tying the game at 3-3 and his eighth-inning single gave the Yankees an insurance run and gave him his fifth game in the last six with at least three hits.
Not only does Stanton have phenomenal power, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone thinks he’s a more complete hitter this season.
“I just think he’s advanced in everything he does as far as his approach and his understanding of what teams are trying to do,” Boone said. “Feel like his game plan he formulates is strong and he’s committed to it. I think he knows how to get himself ready for games, mentally and physically.
“He’s got pretty special physical tools to go out there and deliver, but I just think all those that kind of process approach, how to get ready, experience of facing pitchers and how he processes that kind of information, I think are all really good and really advanced things that he does,” Boone added. “I’m certainly not surprised by these results, because I feel like this has been really kind of brewing for the last year and a half. He just hasn’t been able to be on the field enough to just see it manifests other than obviously late last year, and obviously what he did in the playoffs.”
Aaron Hicks, hitting right-handed, blooped a ball the other way, scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. It was Hicks’ second hit of the game ― a much needed night for the center fielder who has been scrappling lately. Hicks came into the game on a 3-for his last 40 at-bat slump. With a double in the sixth, Hicks had his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
“I do feel like in the last week, it has been better. It’s been starting to see those easy takes that he has when he’s right. And I think that’s the biggest thing for all hitters, but especially Aaron,” Boone said. “What he’s so good at and what makes him a really good offensive player is his ability control zone. I think he’s left the zone, probably in a little bit of chasing a result and wanting to do well.”
That offense helped carry Jordan Montgomery, who struggled in the fourth. The Astros led off the inning with three straight singles off the lefty. Correa’s fielder’s choice and Aledmys Diaz’s double each brought in a run. Yuli Gurriel’s double brought in a run, but a terrific defensive play from Gardner, Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez stopped another from scoring on that play.
Montgomery, who had struggled with rough first innings in his last two starts, had cruised until that fourth inning when the heart of the Astros lineup got to see him a second time around. He allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Aaron Boone sent him out to pitch a clean sixth.
