LOS ANGELES — Giancarlo Stanton was all set up to be an October hero again for the Yankees . It was a Hollywood rerun of a script that the Yankees have been sticking to throughout their playoff run this month. Stanton delivered a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning off Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty, a moonshot down the left-field line that scraped the stratosphere before touching down 412 feet away.
It was Stanton’s fourth game in a row with a home run going back to the American League Championship Series against the Guardians, his 17th career homer in the postseason. Each of his last five hits have left the yard. He’s been the Yankees’ best hitter, picking up his teammates — namely Aaron Judge — when they haven’t produced in big spots.
Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning turned Stanton’s homer into a footnote, though. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER: RESTORING THE GLORY Stanton compared Friday’s gut-wrenching loss to Game 3 of the ALCS against Cleveland, another thriller that ended in a walk-off homer. Stanton had another huge home run turn into an afterthought in that game.
His go-ahead blast off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase faded out of focus when Cleveland hit a few huge homers of their own, including a David Fry walk-off against reliever Clay Holmes. “You hate losing in that fashion, but a loss is a loss,” Stanton said Friday night. “Doesn’t matter if it’s 3-1 or 10-nothing.
A loss i.