Yankees Giancarlo Stanton Hits Corky Career Milestone

The New York Yankees are back in a New York groove, thanks to the hard hits of slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

The Yankees, which hadn't won a series since early June against the Kansas City Royals, completed a full sweep of the Seattle Mariners last night in a nail biting, extra innings feat. Mariners All-Star pitcher Bryan Woo held the Pinstripes to eight runless innings before, magic started to happen. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored on a sac fly from catcher Austin Wells, then manager Aaron Boone called in the big guns: Giancarlo Stanton to pinch hit.

Pinch hitting is not Stanton's speciality. Though he's a heavy hitter who recorded a .273/ .339/ .709 slash line in the post season last year, he's never hit a home run as a pinch hitter in his 16-year MLB career. That is, until last night.

In the bottom of the eighth, Stanton hit a ball deep to right center field, scoring both himself and Ben Rice. That brought the game within reach, and by the end of the ninth, Wells had scored Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger to tie it up. The Yankees went on to win the game in the 10th inning, with shortstop Anthony Volpe running in the winning run on a sac fly by captain Aaron Judge.

After the game, SNY Yankees asked Stanton if he is expecting to pinch hit more often, as opposed to his usual spot as designated hitter, which last night went to Judge.

"Better be a better pinch hitter if that's the case," Stanton said. "You alter your prep a little bit when you warm up, how you do before the game, but it's ever evolving. You never know who you're going to face, you have an idea but you just go along with the game and make adjustments."