STANTON HAS EYE FOR TIGER
Slugger hit again by Fiers, who beaned him, gets HR revenge
DETROIT — With one swing of the bat, Giancarlo Stanton made his point to archenemy Mike Fiers. Angry at Fiers for hitting him earlier in the game given the right-hander was the one who drilled him in the face toward the end of the 2014 season, Stanton got his revenge in his next at-bat when he blasted a 456-foot moonshot and adding an emphatic bat flip.
The Yankee slugger trotted slowly around the bases before pointing at the Tigers pitcher when he crossed the plate.
“Get the point,” Stanton said after the Bombers’ 4-2 loss to Detroit in Game 2 of their doubleheader on Monday at Comerica Park. “Don’t hit me.”
Back in September 2014, Fiers drilled Stanton in the face, mangling it in the process. So even though Stanton knew it wasn’t intentional when Fiers struck him in the left forearm to load the bases in the third, the reigning NL MVP was still PO’d.
“I’m not trying to stir this up. It is what it is,” Stanton said. “No matter how many years it’s been, I’m not going to be happy. I’m not going to just walk to first and everything’s going to be OK. Say what you need to say and get it to the next guy.”
Stanton and Fiers exchanged words. Stanton appeared ready to go to the mound but Tigers catcher James McCann stood in front of him to prevent tensions from escalating. The benches didn’t clear, but both teams were warned.
“I understand that he’s pissed, but the way he handled it was kind of childish,” Fiers said. “Anybody watching this game knows I’m not throwing at him. He’s going to act how he’s going to act, but it kind of shows his character. Obviously I wasn’t throwing at him.”
Asked about a potential confrontation with Fiers should they face each other again, Stanton replied: “Doesn’t matter. Get there when we get there. And when we are there, it won’t matter.”
Stanton, who wears a flap on his helmet for extra protection for his face, wanted no part of reliving the incident with Fiers from four years ago.
“I’m good,” he said. “I answered enough of those questions.”
TOMMY GONE
In an eye-brow raising move, the Yankees demoted Tommy Kahnle to Triple-A Scranton in order to make room for Adam Warren to come off the disabled list prior to Game 2.
Kahnle was great last season after coming over from the White Sox in a trade, but he’s struggled this season, missing significant time with right shoulder tendinitis. The 28-year-old righty’s ERA stands at 7.00 ERA.
Kahnle’s velocity has been down.
“I just didn’t feel like I was getting to use him in the role he probably should be in right now,” Boone said. “And he hadn’t pitched in a while. And the bottom line is when he’s right he’s obviously very good. And we need to get him pitching and get him into a proper rhythm and throwing the ball well and when that happens hopefully we can get him back here and he’ll start impacting our club.
Warren, who had been out with a back injury, struggled in his return, walking three and allowing an RBI double to Victor Martinez in 1.1 innings.
OF NOTE
Clint Frazier, called up to serve as the team’s 26th man for the doubleheader, was returned to Triple-A Scranton afterward. Frazier started both games in left, delivering two hits and two runs along with an RBI.
Gleyber Torres started his first career game at shortstop in the nightcap. Torres committed his eighth error at second during the day, which leads all major-leaguers at the position. The 21-year-old rookie is playing a less familiar position, though, given he’s a natural shortstop, Boone noted, which may be contributing to his sloppy defensive.
The Yankees took catcher Josh Breaux out of McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas) with their No. 61 overall selection. Nick Swisher announced the pick. Of course, Breaux is pronounced “Bro.”