The New York Yankees saw slugger Giancarlo Stanton reach another milestone this weekend. They’re expecting even more.
The Yankees (87-68) finish a four-game series on Sunday afternoon against the host Baltimore Orioles (73-82), who will try to earn a split after New York won 6-1 on Saturday night.
The Yankees gained ground on the first-place Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, moving to within two games of the American East leaders. Manager Aaron Boone doesn’t want the focus on the divisional race.
“I saw they lost. On my mind is trying to win (Sunday),” Boone said. “… What we control is, hopefully, going out and getting (starter) Cam (Schlittler) some runs against a really tough pitcher (Sunday) and winning the series. That’s as far as I think you can look at it.”
Stanton’s first-inning home run on Saturday marked his 450th career long ball.
“Still going in what’s a Hall of Fame career,” Boone said. “Feel like he has got a lot left, a lot more to go.”
After the Yankees went through a sluggish game on offense Friday night, Stanton got them off to a strong start. He missed the first 2 1/2 months of the season with tendinitis in both elbows.
“Just coming in and being the presence that he is,” Boone said. “It has been massive production.”
Stanton has smacked 21 homers this year.
“It’s unique how he does it,” Boone said. “So unique how routinely hard he hits the baseball.”
The Orioles have scored a total of one run in their two losses in the series. They’re guaranteed a losing season after Saturday’s setback.
Two of Baltimore’s four hits and its lone RBI came from rookie infielder Coby Mayo.
“Looking for a good last week or whatever we have left,” Mayo said. “And if I can go into the offseason (with) a little peace of mind that I finished the year strong and I can put up these little goals, I think it’s a positive.”
The Orioles are 4-2 in their last six games, but a communication mishap in the field turned out costly on Saturday.
“We’ve played some veteran teams here recently who have made some bonehead plays themselves,” Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “It’s just part of the game.”
Right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.45 ERA) starts Sunday for the Orioles in just his fifth outing of the season, which has been abbreviated because of last year’s Tommy John surgery. He has allowed one run in each of his past two starts, racking up 15 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Bradish, who hasn’t surrendered a home run in his last three starts, is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 25 innings over five career starts vs. the Yankees.
Schlittler (3-3, 3.41) gets the call for the Yankees. The rookie had six outings of five or more innings in August, but has reached that level only once in three September starts. He’s coming off one of his roughest performances, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings Tuesday at Minnesota, a game New York won 10-9.
Still, the Yankees have won five of Schlittler’s last six starts. He has never faced Baltimore, and this will be just his fifth outing against an AL East team.
–Field Level Media
