CHICAGO — Giancarlo Stanton called it “unreal.”
Aaron Boone said it was “maybe the at-bat of the night.”
Both things could be true at once.
Gleyber Torres’ pinch-hit at-bat with two outs in the eighth inning helped spark a monster, seven-run rally as the Yankees sprinted past the White Sox, 15-7, at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday night.
It came after Torres hit a walk-off home run Sunday vs. the Rangers at Yankee Stadium.
After Marwin Gonzalez drew a walk against reliever Joe Kelly, Torres worked Kelly to a full count despite falling behind, 0-2, before walking to extend the inning. Torres had the count at 1-2 and then watched Kelly miss on three straight knuckle curves.
Torres sat with DJ LeMahieu starting at second base. Torres was pinch-hitting for catcher Kyle Higashioka.
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After Torres’ walk, LeMahieu drew his own walk, and then Aaron Judge legged out an infield single that scored Gonzalez and then Torres, who slid just under the tag to give the Yankees a 9-7 lead. It was heads-up running from Torres, who could have stayed at third base, hoping to get driven in.
They blew it open from there.
“Maybe the at-bat of the night was Gleyber,” Boone said. “Falling behind in the count and just laying off a bunch of really tough pitches to work that walk. Marwin ahead of him getting on base, and then we’re obviously able to blow it open. But just a lot of really good at-bats from guys up and down tonight.”
Boone added, “He’s ready and prepared. Whatever the result is, I just love his process and his preparedness and then the quality of the at-bat. Kelly executed against him. He just didn’t chase.”
Judge said Torres’ at-bat was “big-time.”
“Just as important as (any other at bat), it helped break open that inning,” Stanton told reporters. “If he doesn’t have that at-bat, we don’t have that inning.”
Stanton added that it was an “extremely difficult” situation for Torres to enter. “Coming on cold, especially against a guy like Kelly. To have that at-bat is huge. Very difficult.”
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.
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