The New York Yankees made a late comeback to take down the Boston Red Sox 5-3 on Saturday, putting the two teams in a tie at the moment — each 88-67 — for the top two spots in the American League Wild Card race.
Trailing Boston 2-1 with two outs in the top of the eighth, Giancarlo Stanton destroyed a baseball. Stanton annihilated a grand slam over the Green Monster in left-center field that landed into rare territory out of Fenway Park.
OMGIANCARLO. 😱 pic.twitter.com/BV9jYMoanT
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2021
Nothing but a G thing 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lR38ntdZWP
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2021
Statcast measured the homer at 452 feet, with an exit velocity of 114.1 mph. As amazing as that blast was, Stanton does that sort of thing regularly.
GIANCARLO STANTON
452-ft, 114.1-mph grand slam
His 51st 114+ mph HR tracked by Statcast (since 2015, incl PS), 29 more than anyone else in that span
His 31st 450+ ft HR tracked by Statcast (since 15 incl PS), 14 more than anyone else in that span pic.twitter.com/VEQl8eXQEE
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 25, 2021
But how meaningful this home run was to the Yankees makes it that much better, of course- and especially with it coming against their biggest rival, with the two teams battling in the playoff race.
The Yankees and Red Sox are trying to hold off the Seattle Mariners (2.5 games back), Toronto Blue Jays (2.5 back), and Oakland Athletics (4 back) in the AL Wild Card race. And the team that gets the No. 1 Wild Card slot will host the game on Oct. 5.