LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton has been coming to Dodger Stadium since he was a child. Looks like each time he returns, he sends a particular memento into the outfield seats.
The opener of this Yankees-Dodgers World Sequence was no exception.
Stanton hit a go-ahead, two-run homer within the sixth inning to place New York forward, his newest huge drive for a Yankees group chasing the franchise’s twenty eighth title. It wasn’t sufficient in a 6-3, 10-inning thriller of a loss to Los Angeles on Friday evening that Freddie Freeman completed with a two-out, walk-off grand slam.
“You by no means need that ending,” Stanton mentioned lengthy after the sport in an almost empty Yankees clubhouse. “You’ve bought to win 4 in any case. Nobody mentioned it’s going to be straightforward.”
Maligned by Yankees followers for a lot of his time within the Bronx, Stanton homered for his fourth straight postseason recreation, a 116.6 mph shot off a Jack Flaherty knuckle-curve on the knees that was the hardest-hit ball within the World Sequence since MLB began monitoring in 2015.
His six homers and 13 RBIs each high the Yankees this postseason, and his 17 profession postseason homers in 135 at-bats are among the many high ratios in baseball historical past. He’s the one participant to twice homer in 4 straight postseason video games.
“He’s a killer,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned earlier this month. “I simply admire how properly he’s capable of focus in these huge moments and simply go to a unique place mentally.”
All through October, Stanton’s willpower has been evident.
“This ain’t the trophy I need,” he mentioned after getting the AL Championship Sequence MVP Award on Saturday evening. “I need the following one.”
Born in Panorama Metropolis, California, and raised about 15 miles north of Dodger Stadium within the Tujanga neighborhood of Los Angeles, Stanton used to look at video games from the pavilion seats, identified elsewhere because the bleachers.
“Wherever I may get a ticket. I believe they have been between $5 and $7 sooner or later. I’m positive they weren’t that tonight,” Stanton mentioned. “Throughout left and proper and generally slightly higher as I bought older and had extra connections.”
He hit a tying 457-foot dwelling run into the pavilion off the Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin within the 2022 All-Star Sport and has 10 homers in 25 regular-season video games at Chavez Ravine — probably the most spectacular a 475-foot drive for Miami in Could 2015. Stanton is amongst simply 5 gamers to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium, joined by Willie Stargell (twice), Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire and Fernando Tatis Jr.
“Had lots of instances to know the flight of the ball right here over time,” Stanton mentioned.
Given a then-record $325 million, 13-year contract by the Marlins, Stanton had 59 homers and 132 RBIs in 2017, successful the NL MVP award. His first season within the Bronx was a hit with 38 homers and 100 RBIs however he missed 266 of 708 video games over the following 5 seasons due to a collection of accidents that included strains of proper biceps, proper knee, left hamstring (twice) and left quadriceps together with proper ankle irritation and left Achilles tendinitis.
He arrived at spring coaching this yr markedly slimmer and had 27 homers and 72 RBIs whereas enjoying 114 video games — he was sidelined by a strained left hamstring between June 22 and July 29.
Stanton had greater than 25 members of the family and buddies on the World Sequence opener. He knew his first Fall Traditional look was a major second for them.
“Not as a lot because it means to me,” he mentioned. “They’ll benefit from the present, however on the identical time I’m not right here to simply play in LA. I’m right here to win.”
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