Icing on Monday Night's Cake

When Giancarlo Stanton came to bat in the top of the 9th in the opener of the ALDS, the Yankees led the Rays just 5-3. The game was far from settled. Facing reliever John Curtiss with one out, the goal was to increase the lead, tack on another run to make life easier for Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the inning.

With one mighty swing, Stanton gave Chapman the night off and the Yankees an insurmountable lead. A grand slam over Petco Park's center field fence that put his team up 9-3. And maybe erased some doubts Yankee fans over the pricey but brittle former Marlin.

There were plenty of Yankee standouts Monday night: DJ LeMahieu with two hits and two runs scored; Kyle Higashioka who hit a game-tying homer, while guiding Gerrit Cole through six rocky innings before turning a lead over to the bullpen; Gio Urshela, who continues to dazzle at 3rd base; Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier with home runs of their own. 

But no one needed a big moment as much as Stanton. After missing 181 out of 222 games the last two seasons and reduced to just DH duties, the native Californian enjoyed his return to Petco Park, where he won the 2016 Home Run Derby, in the loudest possible way.
 

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