Red-hot Hicks starting to feel power at right time

Aaron Hicks and Aaron Boone were in agreement that the Yankees outfielder’s right-handed power stroke has been there all season.

Now they are beginning to see it through tangible results.

Hicks continued his recent power surge Tuesday, crushing a home run for a career-high third straight game and his fourth in the last six games to help the Yankees fly past the Mariners 7-2 at Yankee Stadium.

“I feel like I’ve been able to make hard contact pretty much every time I’ve been able to go out, but been unlucky with hits,” Hicks said. “I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball well, just haven’t been getting the results.”

Hicks’ long ball Tuesday capped off an explosive four-run fifth inning for the Yankees. After Miguel Andujar crushed his own two-run shot, Clint Frazier singled and Hicks followed with a 413-foot two-run homer to left field off lefty Marco Gonzales.

Hicks had hit five home runs in his first 43 games before hitting five more in his past 12 games. His recent burst has him on pace to set a new careerhigh in long balls after belting 15 in 88 games last season.

The switch hitter now has four of his home runs batting right-handed.

“Especially from the right side most of the year, he’s been in a really good power position and impacting the ball, not so much hooking the ball but more straight out to left-center and center,” Boone said. “I feel like that righthanded power stroke has been there now for a while and the lefty stroke has been coming along. He’s playing well for us and playing a big role right now for us in helping us win games.”

But Hicks’ emergence hasn’t only come in the power column. Two singles around the home run gave the leadoff man a 3-for-4 night, his third straight multi-hit game. In his last four games he has eight hits in 17 at-bats and for the month of June, he is batting .321 (18-for-56).

“I’ve just been trying to stay tighter to my body, being able to utilize all fields and just stay inside the ball and make solid contact,” Hicks said.

Boone said he envisions Brett Gardner retaking the leadoff spot against righties when he returns from his knee injury, but Hicks will continue to be there against lefties.

And as long as Hicks is in a stretch like this, he has only one goal. “Just ride it,” he said.

“Just keep going and riding that streak as much as possible.”