The New York Yankees entered last night’s game with the Atlantic Braves having won nine of their last ten games but facing one of the best teams in the National League, also winning nine of their last ten. The Yankees came out victorious and with their 10th win in a row. Jordan Montgomery held the Braves to just one run. Giancarlo Stanton had a homer and three RBIs. Gary Sanchez provided the other two RBIs with his single in the eighth. The final score was the New York Yankees 5 and the Atlanta Braves 1.
Giancarlo Stanton performing
Many New York Yankee players have contributed to the outstanding recent Yankee play, but few more than slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Last night he started the second inning with a solo homer to right at Truist Park in Atlanta. If that wasn’t enough in the seventh inning, Stanton got a two-run double with two on and two outs, scoring LeMahieu and Gallo for the two-run lead by the Yankees. That is all the Yankees would need to get their tenth win in a row.
Stanton has always been an inconsistent hitter having hot periods followed by being stone cold. But this hot streak has been more enduring than others. In May, Stanton would hit homers in three straight games against the Houston Astros, followed by not hitting a homer in the next 18 games. He has an average of a hit per game during August, five of them home runs and a .324 batting average over the span. He also has more hits than strikeouts.
Jordan Montgomery gets another win
Jordan Montgomery got the win last night, although he didn’t have his best stuff. Somehow he managed to make his pitches when he had to. Montgomery only went five innings in the game, even though he only allowed two hits, one of them a home run to Dansby Swanson. He threw 75 pitches, 41 of them for strikes. In an after-game interview, he admitted that he still gets tired since coming off the Covid list. This was his second game since returning.
Jonathan Loaisiga comes in to replace Montgomery in the sixth inning and pitched two solid innings allowing just one hit while striking out four Braves. Wandy Peralta came in the eight to hold the Braves to just one run. In a confidence-building effort, Aroldis Chapman entered the game in a no save situation. Chapman did not allow any hits or walks while striking out one and securing the Yankee 5-1 win.
Zack Britton injured and more
The Yankees announced Monday that they’d placed lefty Zack Britton on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow sprain. Britton has not pitched well for the Yankees in his last several outings. The Yankees also recalled outfielder Jonathan Davis from the Rail Riders. In addition, they reinstated the recently acquired reliever Clay Homes off the Covid-19 list.
Miguel Andujar was relieved of a minor league rehab assignment and moved to the 60 day IL in other injury moves. Andujar has been out since early July with a strained left wrist, but he began a rehab assignment last week and appeared in a pair of games. He’s been out of game action since Wednesday due to an apparent setback.
In better injury news, both Gio Urshela (hamstring) and Gleyber Torres (thumb) are making progress and getting closer to returning to the team.
Note: Tonight at 7:20 pm EDT, the Yankees will face the Braves in the final game of the two-game set. The Yankees will have Andrew Heaney on the mound, and the Braves will have Yankee killer Charlie Morton on the mound. Morton has a record of 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 11 appearances versus the Yankees in his career. Only two AL players have gotten three homers off of Morton; Brett Gardner is one of the two.