Stanton homer turns boos to cheers as Yanks beat Rays
Giancarlo Stanton turned boos to cheers with his first Yankee Stadium home run in pinstripes, an emphatic go-ahead drive in the first inning Wednesday that led New York over the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 to complete a two-game sweep.
Stanton turned on a high slider from Blake Snell (0-1), driving the ball 458 feet to left field at 117.9 mph for a two-run homer with the hardest-hit ball in the major leagues so for this young season.
Acquired from Miami in December, the major league home run champion was booed a day earlier when he struck out a career-worst five times in the Yankees’ home opener.
Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez also hit two-run homers as the Bronx Bombers lived up to their nickname. Judge connected off reliever Matt Andriese, the pitcher who gave up a home run to Judge in the slugger’s first big league at-bat in August 2016. Sanchez’s drive ended an 0-for-17 slide.
Stanton also struck out three times, giving him eight in his past nine atbats and 12 this season.
•NL batting champion Charlie Blackmon made a long-term commitment to the Colorado Rockies rather than test next season’s free-agent market, agreeing to a contract that guarantees $108 million over six seasons.
The two-time All-Star center fielder had agreed in January to a $14 million, one-year deal. The agreement announced Wednesday calls for a $2 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the deal’s approval by the commissioner’s office, a $12 million salary this year and $21 million in each of the next three seasons.
Blackmon has player options for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
•St. Louis Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright is coming back from the disabled list in time to start the home opener.
The Cardinals plan to activate Wainwright when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit Busch Stadium on Thursday, ending the veteran righthander’s season-opening stint on the 10-day DL for a strained left hamstring.
•David Price will start the Red Sox home opener on Thursday.
It will be the second time in three years he has taken the mound for the team’s Fenway debut.