Stanton's 4th homer in 4 games powers Yankees over Rockies 6-3, Donaldson hurt again

DENVER -- — Giancarlo Stanton homered for the fourth time in four games and reached 1,000 career RBI by driving in four runs to power the New York Yankees over the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Saturday night.

Stanton's opposite-field, three-run homer down the right-field line with two outs in the second capped a five-run inning off Connor Seabold that built a 6-1 lead.

“I’m putting good at-bats together, so as long as I stay on time and keep my rhythm, I can keep this going,” Stanton said.

Stanton, who has 12 homers at Coors Field, drove in the first run with a groundout in the first.

“He's definitely swinging better," manager Aaron Boone said. “Most of us in this room have seen him dialed in, so I don't want to say he's there because that's a different level. But I feel like the last 10 days, two weeks, he definitely continues to move in the right direction.”

Stanton has 16 RBI in his last 14 games.

“That’s very cool,” Stanton said of reaching 1,000 RBI in his 14th major league season. “It’s a nice round number.”

Stanton was replaced by Oswaldo Cabrera in right field in the seventh. Stanton made a late, awkward slide into third base while going from first to third in the fourth inning, but Boone said the move Stanton is fine.

Josh Donaldson hurt his right calf while running to first base on a grounder in the seventh inning. Donaldson was sidelined between April 5 and June 2 by a strained right hamstring. Donaldson is to get an MRI and another IL stint is possible.

Clarke Schmidt (5-6) gave up two runs and three hits in six innings while tying a career high with eight strikeouts. He is 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 starts and one relief appearance since May 14, lowering his season ERA from 6.30 to 4.31.

“He's been really good now for a couple of months,” Boone said.

All of Schmidt's strikeouts were swinging, four with an 86 mph sweeper than kept the Rockies off balance.

“The breaking balls aren't as big here and your fastballs don't move as much,” Schmidt said. “Everything is just a little shorter, so I wanted to make a little more emphasis to pitch to the corners and get to t

Schmidt balked in a run in the first,.walked one and left after C.J. Cron's leadoff homer in the seventh — the first time in his big league career Schmidt had pitched into the seventh inning.

“That's something I've been working toward for awhile now,” Schmidt said. “Obviously, you don't want to go out there and give up a home run, but it's baby steps and it's a step forward to go deeper in games.”

Clay Holmes pitched a one-hit ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances.

DJ LeMahieu had three hits, including two doubles. Back at Coors Field, LeMahieu has had consecutive multihit games for the second time this season and first since April 23-24.

Gleyber Torres had two hits for the Yankees, who scored as many as six runs for the second time in seven games. Torres tripled on Seabold's first pitch of the game.

“Good to see some guys get some results,” Boone said. “We're capable. They're grinding. A lot of these guys are going to get hot together.”

POWER OUTAGE

Anthony Rizzo’s homerless stretch reached a career-long 144 at-bats when he went 1 for 4 with a single. He has not homered since May 20.

“Baseball,” Boone said. “It’s hard, even for guys who are really good."

Rizzo missed three games early in that stretch after suffering a neck injury when he collided with Fernando Tatis Jr. on a pickoff play May 28.

“When he came back from the neck, he had two weeks where he really struggled, where he wasn’t swinging very good,” Boone said. “The last three weeks or, he’s been better. It’s not easy to hit the ball out of the ballpark or hit for power. It can be even harder when you go chasing.”

SHORT DELAY

The game was delayed briefly before the bottom of the eighth inning when a fan ran onto the field and threw what appeared to be a white t-shirt toward Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, who jumped away. The fan was wrestled to the ground by security personnel and taken off the field.

“Usually it is just some drunk idiot running out having fun on a bet,” Boone said. “He looked like he was mad at something.”

Volpe: “I was pretty startled by it all. He was saying something, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I thought the stadium security did a really good job.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Yankees: OF Aaron Judge (toe) took batting practice and increased his pregame running program. … OF Jake Bauers (shoulder) is to ramp baseball activities in the next few days, manager Aaron Boone said, before a roster decision is made. He is eligible to return from the IL Tuesday. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (elbow) is “getting close to throwing live,” Boone said. … RHP Frankie Montas (shoulder) has a follow-up appointment in Anaheim with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed arthroscopic surgery on Montas’ labrum on April 21. “He’s still in the playing-catch stage,” Boone said.

Rockies: OF Randal Grichuk (groin) did not start after being removed from Friday’s game in the sixth inning. … LHP Ryan Rolison (shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list when RHP Tommy Doyle was purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday. … 2B Brandon Rodgers (shoulder) could make his 2023 debut in the Arizona Complex League next week.

NEXT UP

Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole (9-2, 3.85 ERA) is to oppose Rockies’ RHP Chase Anderson (0-4, 6.89) in the rubber game of a three-game series. Cole is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA in five starts against Colorado, 1-0 in two starts at Coors Field. Anderson has given up 14 homers in 49 2/3 innings.

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