Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam in the third inning as the host New York Yankees continued their hot start with an 8-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.
After going 82-80 last season, the Yankees are off to an 8-2 start. It is their best 10-game start since the pandemic 2020 season and only the second time since 2003 the Yankees opened with eight wins in 10 games.
Stanton snapped a 1-1 tie with two outs after Anthony Rizzo drew a tying walk on a full count against Toronto starter Bowden Francis (0-2). Stanton drove a 2-2 fastball off the facing of an advertisement below the second deck in right field, his second straight game with a home run.
It was Stanton's 11th career grand slam and first since his game-ending grand slam on Sept. 20, 2022 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Anthony Volpe had three hits, scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and stole two bases in the eighth. Oswaldo Cabrera singled Volpe home and Juan Soto brought in Cabrera with a sacrifice fly in New York's two-run eighth.
New York starter Luis Gil allowed two runs on two hits in 4 1/3 innings but did not qualify for the win in his second start since returning from 2022 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander struck out eight and walked four in a 95-pitch outing.
Gil issued a bases-loaded walk to Alejandro Kirk in the third that gave Toronto a 1-0 lead and was annoyed with plate umpire Angel Hernandez's strike zone.
Gil was lifted after allowing a double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jake Cousins (1-0) gave up Bo Bichette's RBI double in the fifth.
Guerrero hit an RBI groundout in the sixth following a fielding error by third baseman Cabrera. Nick Burdi hit Bichette with a pitch but left the bases loaded in the sixth.
Francis allowed five runs on two hits in three innings of his second career start. He struck out five and walked three.
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