NEW YORK (AP) Once the rain subsided, Giancarlo Stanton provided plenty of thunder.
Stanton went 4 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs , sending Luis Severino and the New York Yankees to a 6-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics after a long weather delay Sunday.
Severino (6-1) struck out seven in six gritty innings , and New York won for the 19th time in 22 games to remain tied with rival Boston for the best record in the majors at 28-12.
”Up and down the lineup, we can hurt you a lot of different ways,” leadoff hitter Brett Gardner said as the Yankees packed their bags for a train ride to Washington. ”It seems like a different guy every day. Today it was big G coming through.”
Aaron Hicks drove in two runs, Aaron Judge extended his RBI streak to seven games and New York took two of three from Oakland to win its seventh consecutive series.
After a 7-2 homestand, the Yankees play 19 of their next 25 on the road.
”I’m really excited where we’re at, but it’s a long, long way to go,” rookie manager Aaron Boone said.
Jed Lowrie had an RBI single and Mark Canha homered late for the A’s, who lost five of six during a difficult stretch against the Astros and Yankees – last year’s AL Championship Series participants. Things don’t get much easier, with three games in Boston and four at Toronto to follow.
The start was delayed for 2 hours, 45 minutes, leaving most Yankee Stadium seats empty in a Mother’s Day crowd announced at 40,538. Both teams wore pink caps and other gear to support Major League Baseball’s breast cancer awareness initiative.
Gardner’s infield single, Judge’s pop-fly double and a walk to slumping Didi Gregorius loaded the bases against Brett Anderson (0-2) with nobody out in the first. Stanton smacked a two-run single up the middle, and Hicks added an RBI single two outs later.
In the fifth, Stanton launched an opposite-field shot into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center. He joined Judge, Gregorius and Gary Sanchez to give New York four players with at least 10 home runs just 40 games into a season for the first time in franchise history.
Before this year, not even three Yankees hitters had ever done it. The previous big league team to accomplish the feat was the 2003 Texas Rangers (Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett, Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro).
”If I make some pitches to Stanton, it’s a different ballgame,” Anderson said. ”I just made some horrendous pitches to him. Fastballs out over the plate, what he’s looking for, and fed right into his game.”
Stanton raised his batting average 20 points to .252 and has hit eight of his home runs in five games started by Severino. The slugger also singled in the third and doubled in the seventh to leave him with 999 hits – including 499 for extra bases.
”I didn’t know that. I’ll have to get that ball,” said Stanton, wearing a pink Yankees workout shirt when informed of his upcoming milestone. ”Hopefully in Washington.”
Judge singled home a run in the eighth for his 14th RBI in the last seven games.
Severino had a few close calls but allowed only one run and five hits. He lowered his ERA to 2.14 and tied Cleveland ace Corey Kluber for the AL lead with six wins.
”Talk about grinding through it,” Boone said. ”Proud of his effort on not necessarily his best day. That’s why he’s become a really special pitcher.”
Chad Green, Dellin Betances and Chasen Shreve finished up for the Yankees. Betances reached behind his back to make a nifty grab of a comebacker.
”I guess it’s a makeup for all the bad plays I’ve made,” he said with a smile.
TOUGH OPPONENT
Anderson fell to 0-6 with a 6.86 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees, his most losses versus any team. ”Took a while to get loose and get my pitches going,” he said.
THINKING OF YOU
During a pregame ceremony behind home plate, the Yankees donated $10,000 to the ALS Therapy Development Institute in memory of Gretchen Piscotty, the mother of A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty. Boone and Oakland counterpart Bob Melvin posed for photos while holding an oversized check. Gretchen Piscotty died May 6 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There was a moment of silence for her before the first pitch, with her picture shown on the giant video board.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: Trevor Cahill (right elbow impingement) threw off a mound, simulating two innings, but Melvin didn’t sound so sure the right-hander will be ready to come off the 10-day disabled list when eligible Wednesday. … Piscotty, on the bereavement list, plans to rejoin the team Tuesday in Boston, according to Melvin.
Yankees: Betances pitched with a bloody ring finger after cutting it on his thumbnail. A trainer came out to dry the finger, and Betances said he’ll be fine. ”I’ve just got to cut my thumbnail short and then it won’t happen again,” he said.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP Sean Manaea (4-4, 2.11 ERA) starts Monday night in Boston against RHP Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.79). Manaea threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts at home against the Red Sox last month.
Yankees: Begin an eight-game trip Tuesday night against Bryce Harper and the Nationals. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (4-2, 4.66 ERA), unbeaten in his last four starts, faces Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (4-2, 2.22).
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