Sports

Stanton Smacks Walk-Off Home Run As Yankees Rally Past Mariners

June 20, 2018 / 11:13 PM EDT / CBS New York

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NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton lined a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees erased a five-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 7-5 on Wednesday night.

Gary Sanchez tied the score with a two-run homer in the eighth, and the Yankees went on to complete their largest comeback victory of the season.

Didi Gregorius singled with two outs in the ninth and Stanton hammered an 0-2 breaking ball from reliever Ryan Cook (1-1). The slugger knew it was gone the moment he connected, and he took a little jump at home plate and pumped his arm before tossing his bat aside and circling the bases.

The drive traveled a projected 453 feet to left-center for Stanton's first walk-off homer with the Yankees — his previous one came in April 2014 for the Marlins (also vs. Seattle). He was mobbed by teammates and doused as he crossed the plate, throwing his helmet into the air and smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm not worried about my personal signature moment," Stanton said. "Just happy to be able to get it for us."

New York is a season-high 27 games above .500 with the majors' best record at 49-22. The Yankees have won nine of 11 against Seattle (46-28) and will try for a three-game series sweep Thursday afternoon.

"Until the game is over, we've got a chance. It showed tonight," Stanton said.

Aroldis Chapman (3-0) pitched a perfect inning for the win.

The Mariners have lost three straight for the first time since April 17-19 against the World Series champion Astros.

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez lasted five innings and 95 pitches. He was charged with two runs, one earned, and six hits.

Sanchez drove Alex Colome's cutter 439 feet off the back wall of the left-center bullpen, knotting the score at 5.

Dee Gordon had two RBIs for the Mariners. Denard Span and Ryon Healy each drove home a run in the fifth, extending Seattle's advantage to 5-0.

Yankees rookie Jonathan Loaisiga, making his second major league start in place of injured Masahiro Tanaka, allowed three runs on six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

New York broke through in the fifth with two outs and runners on first and second. Aaron Judge hit a broken-bat single to left, scoring Miguel Andujar. Aaron Hicks also came home when Span bobbled the ball.

Gregorius' sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 5-3.

SAYING GOODBYE

A moment of silence was held before the game for Billy Connors, a three-time Yankees pitching coach and confidant of late owner George Steinbrenner. Connors died Saturday, the team said. He was 76. Connors also served as vice president of player personnel from 1996 to 2012.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (right shoulder surgery) remains in Arizona, where his first rehab start was pushed back due to soreness. He was scheduled to play catch Wednesday. ... OF Guillermo Heredia was not in the starting lineup after batting just .122 this month, but entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh. "G is struggling a bit lately," manager Scott Servais said. "Also, extra left-handed hitter in this ballpark (is) not a bad thing."

Yankees: OF Brett Gardner (swollen right knee) ran and took batting practice before the game. He has not played since Saturday. "Feeling optimistic that it's not going to be a DL thing," manager Aaron Boone said. ... Tanaka (two strained hamstrings) played catch and rode an exercise bike. ... Jacoby Ellsbury is in Florida and might be getting close to resuming baseball activities, according to Boone. The outfielder has been sidelined all season by a string of injuries, including a strained right oblique, sore back, sore left hip and plantar fasciitis in his right heel.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP James Paxton (6-1, 3.44 ERA) starts the series finale. He is 5-0 with a 2.55 ERA since the beginning of May, a span of nine starts that included a no-hitter in Toronto.

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (10-2, 2.09) threw eight scoreless innings Saturday against Tampa Bay, becoming the first Yankees pitcher with 10 wins before the All-Star break since Tanaka in 2014.

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