New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner shakes the slump and delivers a clutch two-run double in the eighth inning that stunned the Boston Red Sox.
- New York Yankees 9 (26-10)
- Boston Red Sox 6 (25-11)
- AL, Final, Box Score
- Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
It doesn’t matter the night. It doesn’t matter the geographical location on planet Earth. It doesn’t matter the opponent. The 2018 New York Yankees will deliver in the clutch to rip a baseball team’s heart out.
It happened again on Wednesday night and again, for the second-straight night against the Boston Red Sox.
Down 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the struggling Brett Gardner took a 3-1 Craig Kimbrel pitch and delivered a two-run triple in the gap.
First, it was Brett Gardner's triple that did it again for the #Yankees. pic.twitter.com/S5kLjsaPNq
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) May 10, 2018
With their impressive 9-6 victory over the Sox, they’ve now won 17 of their last 18 games. It’s been 65 years since the organization accomplished that. They’ve now also captured 11 straight home games. Not since 1999 had the fanbase witnessed that. These Pinstripe fellas also now have five comeback wins while trailing in the eighth inning this season, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the MLB lead.
And oh yeah, the team now takes sole possession of first place in the AL East with a 26-10 record.
Gardner will go down in the books as the hero on this night, but interestingly enough, it was the two rooks, Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, who got on base to set up the tying and go-ahead runs.
A batter later Aaron Judge added a two-run shot to make Aroldis Chapman’s one-inning, three-strikeout save that much easier.
The blast that clinched the series. pic.twitter.com/CKVssZ3jpx
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 10, 2018
Masahiro Tanaka received the start on this night. He managed just 5.1 innings pitched while giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out three. It was a struggling for the Yanks No. 2 starter. Mitch Moreland, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez all smacked home runs. Ramirez’s came in the seventh off Chad Green.
Up 5-3 after five innings, New York’s feared pen was expected to get the job done. Though, in a rare occurrence, they didn’t, once again, it was that clutch gene that pulled through this time in the form of Gardner.
Giancarlo Stanton came up huge early with a two-run double in the third and finished 1-4. The aforementioned Gardner entered the game hitting near the Mendoza line, finished 3-4 with three runs and those two ribbies.
Giancarlo STANTON, ladies & gents‼️
The big bopper continues to torch Red Sox pitching with a go-ahead 2-run double!
3-2 @Yankees. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/7fFy35kS9B
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 10, 2018
All told, Kimbrel relented two runs in just 0.2 innings pitched. Alex Cora asked him to get five outs and it failed miserably.
Now feeling their oats with a comfortable one-game lead, the New York Yankees look to sweep their division rivals Thursday night at The Stadium.
WHAT A CATCH by @TheJudge44! pic.twitter.com/xCVeM8h7lK
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 10, 2018
Two at-bats into the game, the @Yankees take the lead!
Brett Gardner doubles & Aaron Judge drives him in.
1-0 Bombers. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/CVMvbkdj32
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) May 9, 2018