Giancarlo Stanton's Grand Slam Powers Yankees Past Red Sox
BOSTON — It's the situation everybody dreams of.
Stepping up to the plate with the bases loaded and two men out, in a one-run game with postseason implications, Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton had an opportunity to change the game with one swing.
On the very first pitch he saw, the slugger delivered one of the biggest and most memorable moments of the entire season for the Yankees, stunning a sellout crowd at Fenway Park.
Stanton decimated a 94-mph fastball from left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez, sending a towering grand slam 452 feet over the Green Monster and onto Lansdowne Street.
The blast gave New York a 5-2 lead, just what the Bombers needed on a night where runs were hard to come by.
It was Stanton's 33rd home run of the season. He now leads the Yankees with 91 RBI. Stanton has five home runs in his last eight games, hitting .316 (56-for-177) with 17 homers and 45 RBI since August 3.
Closer Aroldis Chapman made the ninth inning a nail-biter for Yankees fans, allowing a booming solo home run to Bobby Dalbec before plunking Kevin Plawecki seconds later. Even with the game-tying run at the plate, Chapman retired the final two batters he faced, securing his 29th save of the season.
With the win, New York extended their winning streak to five games, taking another step closer to claiming the first spot in the American League Wild Card race. They're now tied with Boston for the top spot, with Toronto two games behind and Seattle 2.5 games behind, set to play later Saturday night. The Yankees will close out this series with Boston on Sunday night with lefty Jordan Montgomery on the mound, facing Eduardo Rodriguez.
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