Giancarlo Stanton’s first career pinch-hit homer sparks Yankees comeback

Giancarlo Stanton, for most of his career, was a feared at-bat no matter when it happened. 

But that wasn’t always the case when he was called upon to pinch-hit. 

The slugger entered Thursday night just 5-for-48 with no homers in that spot. 

That changed in a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Mariners in The Bronx.

Stanton was called upon to hit for Jorbit Vivas with the Yankees trailing by four runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and Ben Rice at first. 

Stanton took right-hander Matt Brash deep out to right-center, helping spark the comeback that was completed by Aaron Judge’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th after the Yankees had been no-hit for seven innings by Bryan Woo. 

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“It was good, especially since I haven’t pinch-hit too much and haven’t been the greatest at it, either,’’ Stanton said of the homer. “It was a great one to spoil, a great start to spoil for us.” 

Now, with Stanton back and the Yankees splitting time among the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez, Aaron Boone pointed to the importance of all of them being able to come off the bench productively. 

“You’d better be a better pinch-hitter, if that’s the case,’’ Stanton said of the split playing time in the lineup. 

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Stanton has been around long enough that his first pinch-hit homer was also the 432nd home run of his career, which got him past Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. for 50th in major league history. 

Next up are Juan González and Andruw Jones at 434. 

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Of more immediate concern is what Stanton can do to help the Yankees in his spot as DH/PH. 

Thursday’s homer was also Stanton’s third in his last seven games after he failed to hit one out in his first dozen games after returning from the elbow tendinitis that had sidelined him since spring training. 

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Boone also noted that because Stanton has adjusted to a role in which he has regular days off, there figures to be more success for him as a pinch-hitter. 

“He’s evolved where he is, too, in his career, knowing those days [out of the lineup] exist now,’’ Boone said. 

When he was a “young man” with the Marlins, when Stanton was winning MVPs, Boone said, “Those off days were few and far between. He knows it’s more in play.”