While Anthony Volpe was back at shortstop for the New York Yankees after sitting out two starts, Giancarlo Stanton’s return from a day off made the biggest impact on Tuesday.
Coming off his first game with at least five RBIs in more than three years, Stanton will attempt to lead the Yankees to a fourth straight win and a three-game sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon.
Stanton did not play on Monday as New York prevailed 10-5, with the slumping Volpe sitting out for the second straight night. Volpe returned on Tuesday and went 0-for-4, while Stanton hit a bases-clearing double in the third inning and a two-run homer in the sixth as the Yankees rolled to a 5-1 win.
Stanton, who did not make his season debut until June 16 due to an elbow injury, is hitting .354 (17-for-48) with runners in scoring position this season.
“The mental game, he’s just gotten so good at.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He just has such an ability to lock in and focus and be so disciplined to the work he’s done both physically and preparation for whatever pitcher he’s facing and whatever at-bat he’s got, and he’s going to go up there and be convicted with his plan and stick with it.”
Stanton’s latest big night gave him a .313 average this season. He has never finished a season hitting above .300. In past 13 games, coinciding with his return to the outfield as Aaron Judge nurses a flexor tendon injury, Stanton is batting .472 (17-for-36) with seven homers and 18 RBIs.
“It’s very impressive,” teammate Cody Bellinger said. “Really insanely impressive.”
Besides trying to get Stanton out, the Nationals are attempting to avoid a fifth straight loss. Washington is 6-9 in its past 15 games and 9-17 over the past 26.
CJ Abrams had three of Washington’s eight hits on Tuesday, but the Nationals struck out 12 times and made two outs on the bases.
“We swung the bats,” Abrams said. “The timely hits weren’t there. We got some chances to score more runs and we didn’t, so we got to do that (Wednesday).”
Max Fried (13-5, 3.14 ERA), who is coming off his best start in two months, will start the series finale for the Yankees.
After posting an unsightly 6.80 ERA in his previous eight outings, Fried allowed four hits in six scoreless innings while ending up with a no-decision in New York’s 1-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday.
It was his first scoreless start since June 5, when he threw six innings against the Cleveland Guardians. Fried has pitched five scoreless outings and the Yankees won the first four before Friday, when they fell to 16-10 in his starts this season.
The left-hander is 8-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 19 career appearances (18 starts) against the Nationals.
Cade Cavalli (1-0, 2.82 ERA) will make his sixth career start for the Nationals, his fifth this year.
Cavalli’s pitch count has gradually increased, and he threw 95 on Friday at Philadelphia. In that contest, the right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings in a no-decision after pitching seven scoreless innings against the Phillies on Aug. 16.
–Field Level Media
