Bronx NY —When Giancarlo Stanton starts to launch baseballs out the park it is a very good sign for the NY Yankees.
Stanton smoked a homer to center field, Aaron Judge also went yard and Jhony Brito won his first major league debut as New York defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-0 on Sunday.
“Yeah, G is weird. Every time he comes in after one of those, I just tell him, ‘You’re weird. You’re different,'” Boone said.
Yankee catcher Kyle Higashioka also homered off Ross Stripling, who gave up three long homers in his first start for San Francisco, and the Bronx Bombers took two of three in the series.
Higashioka smashed one leading off the fourth against Stripling, who gave up four runs in five innings. Stripling won 10 games with a 3.01 ERA for Toronto last season before signing a $25 million, two-year contract with San Francisco.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was flagging balls from the outfield instead at his usual short-stop position. The Bombers are shaking things up this year.
Brito (1-0) gave up two hits over five stellar innings after throwing 27 pitches to get out the first inning. He struck out six and walked one, showcasing a well developed changeup to put away batters.
Brito went a combined 11-4 with a 2.96 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A last season.
“I think he’s going to be one of those frontline starters for the Yankees years to come,” Giants first baseman J.D. Davis said. “Deadly fastball-changeup combo.”
With projected starters Luis Severino Brito, Carlos Rodón, and Frankie Montas sidelined by injuries, Brito won a spot in the Bombers’ rotation with a strong spring that included 5 1/3 perfect innings against Toronto his last outing.
“I thought he was fantastic,” Higashioka said. “We need guys to step up, and he definitely rose to the occasion.”
Stripling (0-1) got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, but Judge lined his second home run of the season to left field in the third inning.
Anthony Rizzo smoked a single in the third and Stanton bombed a 485-foot drive to straightaway center field that landed over the tinted restaurant windows above Monument Park.
“Very at ease out there,” Boone said. “Just a really good performance and an important performance for us.”
The Bombers tacked on two runs in the seventh without a hit, thanks to three walks and three wild pitches by reliever Sean Hjelle. Rizzo drove in Anthony Volpe with a sacrifice fly.
The Yankees improved to 29-2, including the playoffs, when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game.
“We’ve got to keep doing it,” Stanton said.
UP NEXT:
Giants: RHP Anthony DeSclafani starts Monday afternoon against White Sox RHP Michael Kopech in Chicago’s home opener. San Francisco plays nine straight day games to begin the season.
Yankees: All-Star LHP Nestor Cortes gets his first start of the season Monday night at home against NL champion Philadelphia. RHP Taijuan Walker makes his Phillies debut.