BALTIMORE – Giancarlo Stanton‘s home runs often look a little different than everyone else’s.
“It’s definitely impressive to see line drives of like 18 degrees go out for homers,” teammate Aaron Hicks said. “It’s fun to watch.”
Stanton’s 436-foot drive capped New York’s three-run fifth inning, and the Yankees went on to a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Anthony Volpe tripled for his first big league extra-base hit, Jhony Brito (2-0) allowed a run in five innings in his second career start and the slumping Hicks delivered a crucial RBI single for the Yankees. But it was Stanton’s homer that was the lasting image of this game, clearing the deepest part of Baltimore’s big wall in left field.
“The Great Wall of Baltimore tried to hold him in,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But it doesn’t hold Big G. That thing just kept taking off on a clothesline, just hung right on up there.”
The exit velocity was 116.3 mph, Stanton’s 26th homer of at least 116 mph since 2015, when Statcast began tracking. Teammate Aaron Judge, with 15, is the only other player with more than six.
Cole Irvin (0-2) walked four batters in 4 2/3 innings in his first home start since the Orioles acquired him in an offseason trade with Oakland.
Brito, recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowed three hits in five innings. Anthony Santander opened the scoring for Baltimore with a first-inning sacrifice fly, but it was all Yankees after that.
Hicks, playing for the first time since Tuesday, had been 0 for 8 this season before his two-out single tied the game in the fourth. Then New York took the lead for good the following inning.
Volpe, New York’s rookie shortstop, led off with a triple and scored on DJ LeMahieu‘s double. After a wild pitch, Judge hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. One out later, Austin Voth replaced Irvin and immediately allowed Stanton’s third home run of the year.
Yankees reliever Michael King allowed one hit and struck out three over two innings in his first game at Camden Yards since July 22, when he fractured his right elbow during a pitch to Ramón Urías. The injury ended King’s season.
“As we were getting our rooms for our hotel, I had the exact same room that I did last year,” King said. “That’s when it kind of first kicked in. But then after that I didn’t think about it.”
Wandy Peralta pitched the eighth and Clay Holmes worked around a walk in the ninth for his second save, finishing a four-hitter.
CONTRIBUTING
Hicks had appeared in only three of New York’s first seven games, so his hit was big. The Yankees have a crowded outfield with Judge, Stanton, Oswaldo Cabrera, Franchy Cordero and Isiah Kiner-Falefa among the the options. They also called up Willie Calhoun before Saturday’s game.
“I’m sure he’s not happy necessarily about the situation, but doesn’t stop you from being a pro,” Boone said. “He’s worked hard and he’s been ready. Got to take advantage of those opportunities, and he was a spark for us tonight.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: New York put INF Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day injured list and RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation) on the 15-day IL. The Yankees also transferred RHP Tommy Kahnle (right biceps tendinitis) to the 60-day IL.
Orioles: SS Jorge Mateo was out of the lineup with a sore ankle. Manager Brandon Hyde said he was available off the bench.
UP NEXT
Nestor Cortes (1-0) takes the mound for the Yankees on Sunday, the first of at least four straight left-handed starters the Orioles are expected to face against New York and Oakland. Tyler Wells (0-0) starts for Baltimore in the series finale with the Yankees.
