Field Level Media
Jul 3, 2018
Giancarlo Stanton made a leaping catch at the right-center field fence in the top of the seventh inning to rob Kurt Suzuki of a home run and hit a two-run homer in the eighth as the New York Yankees held on for an 8-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Stanton was unable to catch a two-run homer by Nick Markakis off Adam Warren in the seventh that cut the lead to 6-5. Stanton made an awkward leap to snag the ball and hit the fence with his arms and legs as it bounced into the first row of the seats.
Stanton was checked out by manager Aaron Boone and a trainer but stayed in the game.
Two pitches later, Suzuki lifted a 1-0 slider to an identical location. This time Stanton made a better read and made a leaping catch in front of the wall for the second out of the inning.
Stanton's defensive play occurred two innings after A.J. Cole (3-1) struck out Tyler Flowers with the bases loaded for the final out after Atlanta sliced a six-run deficit to 6-3.
Stanton then gave the Yankees some breathing room by tucking a 1-0 fastball from Evan Phillips just inside the right field foul pole.
Aroldis Chapman, pitching for the third straight day, threw a scoreless ninth for his 24th save.
A two-run homer by Aaron Hicks and a solo drive by Kyle Higashioka off Atlanta left-hander Sean Newcomb (8-3) helped the Yankees build a 6-0 lead entering the fifth.
Starter Domingo German gave up four straight hits in the fifth, including a two-run homer to Ender Inciarte followed by a solo homer to rookie Ozzie Albies. Freddie Freeman and Markakis followed with singles.
An infield hit to the hole at shortstop by speedster Ronald Acuna Jr. loaded the bases, and Cole got behind in the count to Flowers, 3-1. After Flowers fouled off two straight sliders, Cole struck out the catcher swinging with the same pitch.
Cole struck out four in 1 2/3 innings and was awarded the win after being activated off the disabled list before the game.
German was staked to the six-run lead when the Yankees followed their early homers by scoring without a hit.
Bases-loaded walks by Brandon Drury and Higashioka made it 5-0 in the third, and Brett Gardner scored on a wild pitch by Luke Jackson in the fourth.
German allowed three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Newcomb allowed five runs on three hits in a season-low 2 2/3 innings.
--Field Level Media