Giancarlo Stanton, Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge homered to back CC Sabathia as the Yankees defeated the Braves, 6-2, at Yankee Stadium on the Fourth of July. >> Box score
Things to know about Wednesday's game...
1) The Yankees' power surge continued, with Stanton's three-run shot in the third inning the biggest blow. Higashioka's solo homer in the fourth was the third long ball and third hit of his Major League career. Judge's home run to right padded the Yankees' lead in the seventh. New York has now hit a staggering 22 home runs in its last 10 games.
2) Sabathia earned the win after another solid outing. The veteran left-hander allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five. Sabathia now has a 2.09 ERA in his last six starts.
3) The bullpen set down the Braves with little trouble, with Chad Green, Dellin Betances and Jonathan Holder each firing a scoreless inning in relief of Sabathia.
4) The win sealed the series victory for the Yankees, who also concluded their final homestand before the All-Star Break.
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives
The Yanks utilized three more home runs to take the series finale from the Braves, and all is good in Yankee-land when both Judge and Stanton hit balls over the fence in the same game.
Stanton's three-run blast was his second in two games and was the difference maker for the Yankees. Judge has homered in three of his last four games, and Higashioaka now has three MLB hits -- all home runs.
Sabathia allowed just two extra-base hits in the game, once again pitching well against a team with a .500 record or better. In nine such contests this season, Sabathia owns a 2.52 ERA. Overall, his 3.02 ERA would mark the lowest since 2011 (3.00) if he is to maintain the pace.
After last season's efforts and the midpoint returns in 2018, it seems Sabathia's decision for 2019 rests solely in his hands because he has demonstrated he can still contribute on the mound to the point that a team would surely enlist his services.
What's next...
The Yankees travel to Toronto to begin a three-game series with the Blue Jays on Friday at 7:07 p.m.