| Advertisement |
May 6 (UPI) -- Giancarlo Stanton collected three hits, including a 435-foot homer, to lead the New York Yankees to a win over the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Stanton went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, a run scored and a walk in the 6-3 triumph Wednesday in the Bronx. The Yankees star has at least three hits in six of his last seven games.
Advertisement
"If a pitcher makes a mistake in the middle of the plate, I'm doing some damage on it," Stanton told reporters. "That's our job, that's my job.
"Some stretches you do better than others, but I'm in a pretty good one right now."
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery and Astros starter Luis Garcia kept the game scoreless through the first two innings. Garcia then got into trouble in the bottom of the third frame.
Garcia hit D.J. LeMahieu with a pitch in the third at-bat of the half inning. Stanton walked up to the plate for the fourth at-bat of the frame.
The Yankees slugger swung and missed at an 86-mph cutter for strike one. He then smacked an 1-1 fastball to left center field for his eighth home run of the season. The two-run shot gave the Yankees an early edge.
The Astros pounced on Montgomery in the top of the next inning. Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez each singled to start the inning.
Carlos Correa brought in Brantley when he grounded into a force out. Yuli Gurriel tied the score at 2-2 with an RBI double in the next at-bat.
Aledmys Diaz followed with another RBI double, which gave the Astros a 3-2 lead.
Stanton returned to the plate and tied the score with an RBI double off Astros relief pitcher Ryne Stanek in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Yankees added the final three runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Aaron Hicks plated Gleyber Torres with an RBI single for the first run of the inning. Brett Gardner gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead when he scored Tyler Wade on an RBI sacrifice fly two at-bats later.
Stanton then drove in Hicks with an RBI single to right field for the final run of the night.
Montgomery allowed eight hits and three runs in six innings, but did not receive a decision. Stanton pushed his season average up to .314. The Yankees outfielder has 22 RBIs in addition to his eight homers this season.
"He's a special person and a talent," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton. "I've been saying it for a couple of years: This has been coming."
The Yankees (16-14) host the Astros (15-15) in the final game of the series at 1:05 p.m. EDT Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole battles fellow right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. in the series finale.
