Joey Gallo Powers Yankees Past Mariners With First Yankee Stadium Home Run
NEW YORK — Joey Gallo was hitting .087 over his first six games in a Yankees uniform since he was acquired from the Texas Rangers last week.
There had been some intermittent hard contact, but no results for the slugger.
That changed dramatically on Thursday night as Gallo put together his first breakout performance in pinstripes, powering the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Mariners.
Gallo ripped two doubles in his first two at-bats against Seattle's left-hander Tyler Anderson, his third and fourth two-base hit with the club. His first signature moment with his new team, however, came in the seventh.
Down one run, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton kept the inning alive with back-to-back two-out singles. Still in search of his first home run with the Bombers, Gallo skied a moonshot down the right-field line, putting just enough on the towering fly ball to clear the short porch.
The three-run blast—on a 1-0 slider from right-hander Paul Sewald—sent a crowd of over 33 thousand fans into a frenzy in the Bronx, erupting as Gallo pumped his fist through the air rounding first base.
Gallo finished the day 3-for-4 with those three extra base hits, taking the outfielder's batting average with the Yankees up to .185 (5-for-27) and adding almost 100 percentage points in just one contest.
He added his first curtain call in pinstripes as well.
Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman recorded the final six outs after Gallo's go-ahead homer, sealing a series-opening win. It's the Yankees' 13th win in their last 18 games.
MORE:
- Yankees' Gary Sánchez Tests Positive For COVID-19
- Anthony Rizzo Continues To Be 'Perfect' Fit For Yankees
- Yankees Are Hopeful Deivi García Can Learn From 'Growing Pains' in Triple-A
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
