As Giancarlo Stanton took the primary pitch of his eighth inning at-bat for a strike on Sunday, Aaron Boone leaned towards his bench coach.
“I like that,” the supervisor excitedly informed Carlos Mendoza.
The name went towards Stanton, however the Yerry Rodriguez slider was low within the zone. With Stanton struggling mightily, Boone was completely happy to see the slugger exhibiting endurance. Stanton did so once more on the following pitch, one other slider that dipped beneath the zone.
One extra take, on a borderline heater referred to as for a ball, set Stanton up for an RBI single. That supplied a welcomed insurance coverage run within the Yankees’ 5-3, series-winning victory over the first-place Rangers.
“Hopefully we can build on that,” Boone stated of Stanton, who entered Sunday’s recreation with simply six hits and two RBI in his final 55 at-bats. “Obviously, we know when he gets going how much of a problem he is for the opposition.”
Stanton agreed that the plate look – notably the pitches he didn’t pull the set off on – was encouraging.
“Good takes, you can build off of that,” he stated. “But it’s a results-based place, so just gotta figure out how to do it.”
Results have been onerous to come back by for Stanton this season, as he’s hitting simply .191/.252/.391 with six dwelling runs, 14 RBI and a 73 wRC+. He’s struck out 33 instances in 30 video games.
Stanton’s slash line has been even worse since getting back from a hamstring harm on June 2: he’s hitting .121/.215/.241 in 17 video games over that stretch.
Which is why he didn’t present a lot curiosity in hyping up his solely hit on Sunday.
“No, I got a lot to do,” Stanton stated when requested if the only took some weight off his shoulders. “So it’s good for now, but that doesn’t clear it for me.”
Stanton is much from the one Yankee hitter who’s been scuffling since Aaron Judge, out indefinitely, harm his toe on June 3. Highly paid veterans Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu are batting properly beneath the Mendoza Line since then, whereas Josh Donaldson has hit an excellent .100.
Rizzo has began to seek out success, hitting .310 over his final 9 video games regardless of going 0-for-3 with a stroll on Sunday. LeMahieu, in the meantime, picked up a much-needed two-run double within the win after spending a number of days on the bench final week.
Donaldson sat for the third consecutive recreation.
As an entire, the Yankees are hitting simply .197 with a .260 OPB, 56 runs scored, 53 RBI and a 66 wRC+ since June 4. As of Monday morning, these had been the worst numbers in baseball over that stretch.
Their .347 slugging proportion was second-worst.
Judge’s harm has come up incessantly in scrums with the Yankees’ underachieving hitters, however Stanton stated he didn’t know if the reigning MVP’s absence is placing strain on the Bombers’ offense.
Either approach, he expects extra of himself.
“I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do regardless of who’s on the field, regardless of anything,” Stanton added. “So just keep working.”
The Yankees have talked about LeMahieu needing to repair his load on the plate, and hitting coach Dillon Lawson just lately recognized Stanton’s timing as a problem.
But requested Sunday if he has been engaged on something particularly, Stanton most popular to keep away from specifics.
“Be better,” he stated. “That’s what I’m working on.”
A former MVP himself, Stanton was then requested why it’s been so onerous for him to get going.
Once once more, he supplied a succinct response.
“Anything would be an excuse,” he stated, “so nothing.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com