Yankees: Angel Hernandez gave gift to kid hit by Giancarlo Stanton homer

The New York Yankees took down the Minnesota Twins 7-5 on Thursday night, a game that included plenty of exhales as a 6-0 lead nearly dissolved entirely.

Things would’ve been even more dire if not for Giancarlo Stanton’s laser shot into the right-field seats with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth.

Even this insurance run didn’t come without complications, though.

Let’s just say the Yankees’ pitching staff wasn’t the only one to escape unscathed after this one.

Stanton’s rocket to right somehow glanced directly off a young child’s head, and that child…shook it off. Shook off a 106 MPH laser to the dome. 106!

And following the game, umpire Angel Hernandez just wanted to see the modern marvel for himself up close, delivering a baseball to the kid who’d been through a lot.

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton homered off a kid’s head.

Are kids who’ve just been hit by baseballs allowed to pass on special visits like this one? Could he have just said, “Who wants to come see me? Any of the 25-man Yankees roster? Oh, Angel Hern–ooh, my head! My head just now started hurting! Oh well, guess I gotta go home, don’t call me!”

That had also better not be the end of the gifts, Yankees. This kid needs to meet Stanton. Or at least receive a signed bat. Or a signed ball? Or his picture in the Judge’s Chambers? We’re talking about a hero with a forehead made of steel here.

For those who aren’t aware of Hernandez’s, ahem, exploits, he’s well-known for trending on Twitter every time he steps behind home plate. He’s sued MLB, claiming discrimination has prevented him from working prominent national games in recent years. We’d argue there’s, uh, another incompetence-based reason he’s been exiled.

Who among us expected Hernandez to be a part of the healing after Stanton’s solo shot? What a bizarre cameo.

When this kid recounts the story of the Stanton shot to his classmates this week, it probably won’t include the Angel Hernandez portion of the program.

Hopefully, he’s feeling healthy and ready to cheer on the Yankees for the remainder of this four-game set. Maybe hand those short porch seats off to someone else for the Friday contest, though.

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