The New York Yankees would not have won Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series if not for Cam Schlittler.
But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton also knows he nearly cost his team as well.
Stanton apologized and offered a key lesson to young baseball fans while celebrating New York’s 4-0 win in the series-clinching win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Stanton went 1 for 3 with the double and a key walk off Connelly Early and scored a run in the fourth inning. He finished the series just 1 for 11.
The Yankees advanced to the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 will be Saturday at 4:08 p.m. ET.
Giancarlo Stanton Apologized For ‘Bonehead Play’
Stanton has been a machine in the postseason since joining the Yankees in 2018. He was, of course, the 2024 ALCS MVP and his 18 career postseason home runs are tied with Mickey Mantle for third-most in Yankees history.
In fairness to Stanton, his 114.5 mph rocket off the bat of a 2-2 pitch while leading off the second inning would have been a home run at 15 of the 30 major-league parks, according to Statcast.
Yet, when he styled after socking the ball that ultimately hit the wall — and needed to hustle into second base to avoid getting thrown out at second base — Stanton was embarrassed.
“The only doubt was if that was a homer or not whenever I hit it,â Stanton told YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits amid the team’s celebration after the game. âThank goodness for that bone-head play that the team was resilient enough, Cam (Schlittler) was resilient enough to go out and it didnât mess up the chemistry or the moment, so thatâs good.”
Then, Stanton offered a PSA-style lesson — his community service? — for his near-costly gaffe.
“Kids at home, donât do that. Future opponents, please do that,” Stanton said. “Bone-head play. Iâm just glad it worked in our favor, and it wonât happen again.â
The play didn’t ultimately cost the Yankees, though they also didn’t score that inning. But in a do-or-die game, against a huge rival, Stanton knew the margin for error was slim — and that his mental lapse could have loomed large if the Yankees lost.
âNo harm, no foul, but still, it couldâve changed a lot, and we could have not been doing this,â Stanton said, pointing to the celebration going on around him. âSo, it was very important.â
Stanton’s Walk Helped The Yankees’ Rally
Two innings after his baserunning gaffe threatened the Yankees‘ season, Stanton was in the middle of another New York rally, and in the fourth inning he did nothing wrong.
After Cody Bellinger dunked in a leadoff double, Stanton patiently worked a walk on a full count, taking two very close pitches and fouling off a changeup, to put runners on first and second with no one out.
To Stanton’s point, the Yankees recorded three straight singles from Amed Rosario, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe, whose postseason resurgence was completed by his hit that drove in Stanton and made it 2-0.
“Just having great at-bats, and not try to do too much,â Stanton said of the fourth inning. âI was very impressed with everyoneâs at-bats in big moments, not trying to overswing, just putting the ball in play, being on time, and that was important.â
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