Juan Soto took three steps and stared toward the visiting dugout at Oracle Park, reveling in the excitement of his Yankees teammates as they erupted in celebration, tracking the flight of his go-ahead home run. Soto flipped his bat high into the air, thumped his chest, and pranced down the first-base line to join the jubilant celebration.
Trailing by two runs in the ninth inning against one of the league’s top closers, Camilo Doval, most teams might have folded and looked to fight another day. Not the Yankees. Soto’s second home run of the game sailed into the right-center-field seats, igniting a four-run ninth inning and a 7-5 victory over the Giants, completing a series sweep. “We’re having a great time. We have great moments,” Soto said. “We’re just having fun; that’s all I can tell you.”
Juan SotoYankees’ Unstoppable Momentum
The Yankees have now won 22 of their last 27 games, completing a 7-2 West Coast trip. Gleyber Torres set the tone in the ninth inning, lining Doval’s fifth pitch into center field for a clean single. Manager Aaron Boone described several key plate appearances as “savage at-bats” that led to the victory. “That’s what sparked it, right there,” said Aaron Judge. “You’ve got a guy coming out of the bullpen, knowing you’re going to see 102 mph, a nasty slider, and a two-seam. For him to go up there and have a great at-bat, it sparked everybody in the dugout. We said, ‘Hey, let’s go feed off that.’ Next man up.”
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Key Plays and Players in the Ninth Inning
While Juan Soto home run was the highlight, Jose Trevino’s hustle on the next play was equally crucial. Trevino chopped a slow grounder and sprinted down the baseline, narrowly beating the throw to avoid a double play. “Just give everything I have,” Trevino said. “I know who’s hitting behind me and how important it is for those guys to get up to the plate.”
Anthony Volpe capitalized on this opportunity, hitting a Doval cutter for a triple into the right-center field gap. As Volpe dashed around the bases, Trevino was a turn ahead. “I kicked it into the fastest gear that I have. Don’t laugh,” he said. Soto then stepped up and, after Judge had shone in the first two games of the series, seized the spotlight with a game-changing homer.
Consistency and Depth in Yankees Lineup
Soto’s contributions included a first-inning homer off Blake Snell and a fifth-inning bunt that produced a run. His second homer of the game, a 398-foot shot, marked his 17th of the season. After Judge walked, stole second, and advanced on an error, Giancarlo Stanton extended the lead with his 1,500th career hit, a ground-rule double to right-center. “It’s nightmarish, trying to get through that lineup,” said Giants catcher Curt Casali. “They’re a great team. They’re on a heater right now. I feel like we let one slip away.”
Yankees’ Resilience and Preparation
Watching the rally from the clubhouse after his fifth-inning exit, Yankees starter Nestor Cortes reflected on the team’s resilience. “We’re going to keep seeing this for a while in the summer,” Cortes said. “It’s incredible the way the guys come in here ready to work. Today we could have easily come in, gone through the motions, and gone back home for an off-day. But these guys were in here grinding, battling in the training room and the weight room, doing stuff to get ready for this 1 o’clock game. And it showed.”
Despite not having his best day, Cortes, who allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings, kept the team in the game. Alex Verdugo’s two-run, game-tying double in the fifth off Erik Miller, who had replaced Snell, exemplified the Yankees’ refusal to quit. “I know we’ve got something special in that room,” Boone said. “Where that takes us? We’ll see.”
Yankees Captain Reflects on Memorable Weekend
Judge, the team captain, echoed Boone’s sentiment. Having experienced both cheers and boos during this Bay Area return, Judge left satisfied with a memorable weekend. “I can go back over the years, how many times we probably lose that game, facing the closer up two runs and go 1-2-3,” Judge said. “This team is different.”
This epic comeback and series sweep against the Giants underscore the Yankees’ resilience, depth, and the electrifying presence of key players like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. As the Yankees continue their impressive run, fans and opponents alike are witnessing a team that is determined, prepared, and capable of remarkable comebacks.
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