Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton gave New York a scare with an awkward fall in right field. An inning later Josh Allen Jersey Bills , he showed everyone in the Bronx that he was just fine.
Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Kyle Higashioka each homered and New York went ahead early and hung on to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Tuesday night.
Stanton was shaken up after crashing into the right field wall chasing after Nick Markakis‘ seventh-inning home run. He knocked padding off the base of the wall, and the team’s training staff ran out to check on New York’s prized offseason acquisition a pitch later. Stanton remained in the game, made a leaping catch later in the inning, then slugged his 20th home run of the season in the eighth.
”That’s par for the course, that’s baseball,” Stanton said. ”If you get subbed in, you usually get the ball the first time, so, something like that happens, expect it.”
Stanton’s homer gave New York some breathing room after the Braves crept on its early lead. His two-run shot off Evan Phillips made him the 11th player to reach 20 homers in each of his first nine major league seasons. Phillips was making his major league debut.
New York is a major league-best 32-13 at home. The Yankees improved to a majors-best 21-6 against left-handed starters and remain a game behind Boston for the best record in baseball.
Aaron Judge had two hits and a walk, and he stole two bases for the first time in his career. Hicks also walked twice as New York drew eight free passes.
Markakis and Ender Inciarte each hit two-run homers for Atlanta, which ended a four-game winning streak. The Braves remain atop the NL East but fell behind the Brewers for the best record in the NL.
A night after Atlanta rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. barely cleared the wall to give Atlanta an 11-inning victory Eddie Rosario Minnesota Twins Jersey , the Yankees took advantage of their cozy stadium.
Hicks continued his home run binge by hitting Sean Newcomb’s 95 mph fastball two rows into the right field stands for his 15th of the season and a 2-0 lead in the first. Hicks has hit nine home runs in his last 17 games.
”He’s put together a really good season for us and right now, he’s at a really, really good place in the batter’s box,” Boone said.
Newcomb (8-3) stood on the mound shaking his head after the ball carried over the fence. The left-hander allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings in the shortest start of his career. Newcomb had posted three straight quality starts but threw a career-high 111 pitches his last time out.
”Balls kind of get sucked up out there, so that’s frustrating,” he said.
New York scored twice in the third without a hit. Newcomb walked the bases loaded, then walked Brandon Drury to force in a run. Luke Jackson relieved, but he walked Higashioka for another run. Newcomb’s five walks matched a career high.
”He was just having a hard time controlling everything,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Staked with a six-run cushion, Yankees starter Domingo German tired in the fifth. After Johan Camargo walked, Inciarte crushed a curveball into the stands for his sixth of the season.
Rookie Ozzie Albies homered on the next pitch to draw Atlanta within three. Freddie Freeman and Markakis hit consecutive singles to end German’s night. Atlanta hit back-to-back homers for just the third time this season.
A.J. Cole, reinstated off the disabled list earlier in the day, struck out Tyler Flowers with the bases loaded to end the threat. Since being acquired from Washington on April 23 http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-lorenzo-carter-jersey , Cole (2-0) has allowed one earned run in 14 2/3 innings.
In the eighth, Chasen Shreve relieved with runners on first and second and one out and retired Inciarte and Albies to preserve a one-run lead.
Aroldis Chapman threw a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save. The hard-throwing closer was used in three straight games for the first time this season.
HAILEY’S HANDS
Eight-year old Hailey Dawson threw out the ceremonial first pitch with her 3D printed hand created by students at UNLV. Dawson was born with Poland Syndrome, a rare birth defect that left the youngster without the three middle fingers on her right hand. She has been on a quest to throw a first pitch for each MLB team.
HOMERING HIGASHIOKA
Higashioka became the third player in franchise history to homer for his first two big league hits, joining Alfonso Soriano (1999-2000) and Joe Lefebvre (1980).
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: INF Gleyber Torres (right hip stiffness) was held out of the starting lineup. The sensational rookie ”stiffened up” Monday night, according to manager Aaron Boone, but entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth. … RHP Masahiro Tanaka remains scheduled for a rehab start with Triple-A Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. Boone is hopeful Tanaka will throw between 65 and 75 pitches. … C Austin Romine (left hamstring) was held out of the starting lineup for a third straight night
UP NEXT
LHP CC Sabathia (5-3, 3.02 ERA) pitches the series finale for New York. Sabathia allowed just seven earned runs over five starts in June (1.93 ERA) and is 3-1 in four starts against Atlanta. He’s opposed by Julio Teheran (6-5, 4.21 ERA), who gave up eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only appearance against New York on Aug, 30, 2015.
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Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle was going through his usual routine Monday, preparing if needed for a save, when general manager Mike Rizzo sought him out.
Getting a jump on the trade deadline, the Nationals picked up right-hander Herrera from the Kansas City Royals for three minor leaguers, adding him to a back end of the bullpen that already includes the lefty Doolittle and righties Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler.
”It’s almost their way of saying, `Here’s some help. Here’s some reinforcements.’ I think it’s one of those situations where you can’t have too many options down there,” Doolittle said. ”You get a guy who’s pitched in every high-leverage role from the seventh inning on. He’s won a World Series. … We’re planning on playing some really meaningful games down the stretch and making a run into the playoffs. We’re gonna need some help. I think it’s awesome.”
As for the effect on his role, which the Nationals say won’t change, Doolittle called it ”definitely a confidence boost” to hear that it’s ”still my job.”
”You want to add some stuff, but you don’t want to have too many cooks in the kitchen,” Doolittle said. ”It’s not necessarily that guys are super-attached to their roles, but they like to know what to expect – when they’re going to pitch in a game, when to get ready, that sort of stuff.”
The Nationals sent infielder Kelvin Gutierrez, outfielder Blake Perkins and 17-year-old pitcher Yohanse Morel to Kansas City in the deal announced during Washington’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees. Gutierrez heads to Double-A Northwest Arkansas http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-byron-maxwell-jersey , Perkins will be assigned to Class A Wilmington, and Morel goes to rookie ball.
Herrera has 14 saves and a 1.05 ERA this season. He’s allowed three earned runs in 25 2/3 innings while striking out 22 batters and walking two.
”It’s just a moment you don’t want to see,” Herrera said about leaving his only major league home. ”It’s always hard. I was born and raised (as) a player here.”
The 28-year-old helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series – and is among the last players left from that title team. He is 23-27 with 57 saves and a 2.75 ERA across 442 games in relief over eight seasons in the majors.
”We’ve known Kelvin since he signed with us when he was 16 years old. He’s one of the very best competitors that I’ve ever been around, probably that this organization has seen,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ”Without him, there is no way we can ever make it to the World Series, win a World Series.”
Kintzler, the usual seventh-inning man for Washington, went on the disabled list June 10 with a right forearm flexor strain, and Madson spent time on the DL earlier this season.
Madson was a teammate of Herrera’s on the 2015 champions.
”He’s a bulldog,” Madson said. ”I take it with welcoming arms. Let the old horse rest a little bit.”
Instead of waiting to make moves at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, the Nationals opted to strike now. They are the two-time reigning NL East champions but have never won a postseason series. Washington also currently stands in second place in the division, entering Monday 3 games behind the Atlanta Braves.
The Royals Ozzie Albies Atlanta Braves Jersey , meanwhile, are way out of contention in the AL Central in last place and 22-49 going into the day. They already shipped Jon Jay to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of minor leaguers earlier in June.
”We’d like to be holding onto our players longer,” Moore said, ”but where we are in the standings and what we’re faced with and how we’re playing, if we can get the right move, it’s important to move.”
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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta and freelancer Alan Eskew in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.