Stanton hits hardest ball of year as Yanks rip 5 HRs, beat Rangers
Giancarlo Stanton hit a mammoth solo homer in the fifth inning, J.A. Happ pitched six solid innings and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
Stanton homered for the third straight game when he hammered a 1-1 fastball from rookie Ariel Jurado (2-2) into the lower rows of the left-field bleachers.
Stanton's 28th homer traveled an estimated 449 feet and was clocked at 121.7 mph according to Statcast. It was the hardest hit ball in the majors this season and the hardest hit homer since Statcast was introduced in 2015.
Aided by Stanton homering in a third straight game for the first time with the Yankees, Happ (12-6) allowed three runs on four hits in his second start since being acquired from Toronto on July 26. Happ struck out nine, walked one and threw 94 pitches in his first start in nearly two weeks due to being on the disabled list with hand, foot and mouth and disease.
Aaron Hicks and rookie Miguel Andujar hit two-run homers while Neil Walker added solo homers from both sides of the plate as the Yankees won their fourth straight.
Jurickson Profar hit a solo homer and Shin-Soo Choo hit a two-run double as Texas lost for the fourth time in its last 13 games.
In his fourth career start, Jurado allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings.
The Rangers tied a season high by allowing five homers for the third time and second time against the Yankees.
Hicks made it 2-0 by hitting his career-high 20th homer into the second deck in right field with two outs in the first. Andujar blasted his 16th into the visiting bullpen beyond the left-field fence with one out in the fourth. Three pitches later Walker homered from the left side of the plate inside the right-field foul pole for a 5-1 lead.
With one out in the sixth, Walker batted right-handed against left-hander Matt Moore and homered over the left-field fence. It was his sixth career multi-homer game and first time homering from both sides of the plate.
Stanton and Walker's second homer occurred in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
David Robertson, Dellin Betances pitched a scoreless inning apiece before Aroldis Chapman entered in a non-save situation in the ninth. Chapman walked the first two hitters and ended the game by striking out Roughned Odor.
--Field Level Media
