NEW YORK, September 6 – Giancarlo Stanton made history on Tuesday night, becoming the 58th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 400 career home run mark. His tiebreaking two-run shot in the sixth inning propelled the New York Yankees to a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers at their home turf.
With this crucial win, New York (69-69) returned to the .500 mark for the first time since August 15, reigniting their playoff hopes.
Stanton achieved this remarkable milestone in his 1,520th career game, making him the fourth-fastest player to reach the 400-homer club. Only Alex Rodriguez (1,489 games), Babe Ruth (1,475), and Mark McGwire (1,412) accomplished it faster.
The towering slugger also became the 10th player to reach this milestone while wearing the iconic pinstripes of the New York Yankees. This victory marked the Yankees’ eighth triumph in 11 games, showcasing their resurgent form.
Stanton’s historic moment unfolded in the sixth inning. After Joey Wentz (2-11) opened the frame by walking Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and Gleyber Torres each grounded into a fielder’s choice. With two outs and the game knotted at 1-1, Stanton unleashed his power by crushing a slider from Detroit’s Jose Cisnero over the Tigers’ bullpen and into the left-field bleachers. The awe-inspiring 451-foot blast marked Stanton’s 22nd homer of the season, coming after he struck out in his first two at-bats. The momentous achievement prompted a curtain call, and Stanton graciously acknowledged the cheers from the crowd of 31,553 by tipping his helmet.
Stanton’s prodigious homer also played a pivotal role in securing the victory for New York ace Gerrit Cole (13-4). Cole delivered his third consecutive win by allowing just one run on eight hits over six innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out seven without issuing a single walk. His masterful performance was capped off with a flourish as he struck out Javier Baez on a blazing 99-mph fastball with a runner on base, concluding his 104-pitch outing.
DJ LeMahieu set the tone for the Yankees with a leadoff homer in the first inning, while rookie Jasson Dominguez made his home debut by contributing a run, going 1-for-4.
The Detroit Tigers managed to tie the game in the sixth inning when Miguel Cabrera delivered an RBI single off Cole. This came after Kerry Carpenter led off the inning with a triple. However, the Tigers (63-75) were unable to maintain their momentum and fell short of tying their season-high with a fifth consecutive win. They also dropped to a 6-24 record against American League East opponents.
Detroit’s opener, Alex Faedo, provided a solid start, yielding just one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. Faedo also struck out four and issued one walk before being relieved.
