KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A few more playoff games like this and no one will be able to complain about Giancarlo Stanton’s contract — or his baserunning.
Stanton was out for more early batting practice Thursday after hitting the go-ahead homer in Game 3.
And while Stanton didn’t go deep again in the clincher, a 3-1 victory over Kansas City, the DH delivered again.
With a one-run lead, Stanton led off the top of the second with a 110-mph double down the right field line.
He was stranded at second when Jazz Chisholm Jr. whiffed, Anthony Volpe lined out to right and Alex Verdugo grounded to first.
But Stanton was able to add to the Yankees’ lead in the sixth.
He followed Aaron Judge’s leadoff double — as the Yankees’ best hitter showed his first spark of the postseason at the plate — with a 116-mph single up the middle through a drawn-in infield after Judge had moved to third on an Austin Wells groundout.
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It gave the Yankees a three-run lead with Gerrit Cole on the mound.
Stanton also had his fingerprints all over the Yankees’ Game 3 win, when he had three hits and amazed his teammates with his first stolen base since 2020.
There was no basepath thievery Thursday.
His October success includes having entered Thursday trailing only Babe Ruth when it comes to home-run frequency among players with at least 100 playoff at-bats, with 12 homers in 109 at-bats for a homer every 9.08 ABs, while Ruth’s rate was 8.60.
More importantly, the Yankees are 24-4 when Stanton homers this season — including the playoffs.
And with runs at a premium, Stanton has had RBIs in three straight games.
Strangely, Stanton was removed from the game for pinch-runner Duke Ellis after being intentionally walked with two out in the eighth.
Chisholm grounded out to end the inning and Stanton’s night was over.
The Yankees bullpen took care of the final two innings and they didn’t need Stanton’s bat the rest of the way.
