Thursday afternoon, the New York Yankees took the rubber game of their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals in blowout fashion (NY 8, KC 1). Gary Sánchez broke the game open with a three-run home run in the sixth inning. It was Sánchez's seventh homer in his last 12 games and his 13th of the season. He's been red hot lately.
Here's the home run that turned Thursday's game into a laugher:
Following Thursday win, Sánchez told reporters, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, that he is not interested in participating in this year's Home Run Derby, citing rest. Sánchez took his hacks in the 2017 Home Run Derby and said he came away fatigued, which he wants to avoid this year.
Sánchez, 28, is up to .240/.344/.503 on the season following Thursday's home run. He leads all American League catchers in OPS and has a good chance to be selected to his third career All-Star Game. Sánchez hit .147/.253/.365 during the shortened 2020 season and lost the starter's job to backup Kyle Higashioka in the postseason.
Shohei Ohtani and reigning champ Pete Alonso are the only players confirmed for the Home Run Derby so far. Sánchez, Yankees teammate Aaron Judge, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have all said they're skipping the event for various reasons.
In 2017, Sánchez eliminated current Yankees teammate Giancarlo Stanton in the first round of the Home Run Derby, then lost to Miguel Sanó in the second round.
The 2021 Home Run Derby will take place Monday, July 13, at Coors Field in Denver.
