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Giancarlo Stanton has savage response to Rays celebrating AL East title

By Thomas Carannante

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 30: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases on a solo homer during the second inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 30, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 30: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases on a solo homer during the second inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 30, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton shrugged off the Rays winning the division.

The Tampa Bay Rays might have won the AL East and punked the New York Yankees to the tune of an 8-2 regular-season record, but each of these teams’ 2020 success will come down to a five-game ALDS in San Diego next week. Yankees vs. Rays. Petco Park. Tensions riding high.

And that’s exactly how Giancarlo Stanton and Co. are viewing it. The Rays had a grand old time celebrating their AL East title in a shortened 60-game season while the Yankees went weeks without a number of their top players.

Tampa sported hats that read “98ers” and shirts that depicted a stable of horses, both reminiscent of manager Kevin Cash’s threatening comments during the last series between the division rivals, after a victory over the New York Mets a little over a week ago.

Touché. But guess what? Your new little set of apparel isn’t fazing Stanton or the Yankees, who are at full strength and ready to return to the ALCS — where you haven’t been since 2008.

Uh oh.

Don’t let Stanton get angry, because he’s already beginning to heat up. He’s 2-for-7 with two runs scored, two homers, three RBI and two walks after two games against the Cleveland Indians. He barely got a crack at Tampa this year after going down with a hamstring injury during the first series between the two in early August, so he’s chomping at the bit.

And this series will be at Petco Park — not the crumbling Tropicana Field that has astro turf laid over concrete. No cat walk. No dismal environment to suck the life out of the opponent. Sunny San Diego, here we come, and it’s a place Stanton loves to be.

He’s slashing an astounding .323/.432/.758 with 11 runs scored, eight home runs and 15 RBI in 19 career games. And he did this for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic:

Bring on the stable. Uncork the heat. The Yankees are ready and waiting. Monday can’t come soon enough.

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