Yankees Take Over Top Wild-Card Spot From Red Sox

“We’ve had a lot of crushing losses and some good streaks as well, so we’ve been through a lot of what we need to to overcome times like these,” Stanton said. “It’s a matter of understanding all that, and understanding how this year has not been a wash, it’s very much a learning curve and we can use it to our advantage, even the bad parts.”

Stanton has handled plenty of good and bad across four seasons with the Yankees. But he carried the team in the playoffs last fall, and with 18 homers and a .314 average since Aug. 1, he is doing it again.

“That’s the type of player he is,” Judge said. “He comes up in big moments and continues to deliver, deliver, deliver.”

Stanton was asked about the feeling among the players after Sunday’s sweep, and he confirmed Boone’s description. There was joy in the clubhouse, he said, but also a recognition of where they stand. While other teams are toasting playoff berths, the Yankees are not quite there.

“We’re hyped,” Stanton said. “That’s very important that we were able to sweep them. But yeah — hyped and all business, too. We know there’s a lot of work to be done still.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/27/sports/baseball/yankees-red-sox.html