Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton has been coming to Dodger Stadium since he was a child. It seems like every time he comes back he sends a special souvenir to the outfield seats.

The opener of this Yankees-Dodgers World Series was no exception.

Stanton thwarted a two-run drive in the sixth inning to give New York the lead, his latest hit for a New York team seeking its 28th title. It wasn't enough in a 6-3, 10-inning thriller and loss to Los Angeles on Friday night.

Vilified by Yankees fans for much of his time in the Bronx, Stanton hit a home run in his fourth straight postseason game, a 116.6 mph shot off Jack Flaherty, the hardest-hit ball in the World Series since it began the MLB in 2015.

His six home runs and 13 RBIs both top the Yankees in the postseason, and his 17 career postseason home runs in 135 at-bats are among the best percentages in baseball history. He is the only player to hit a home run twice in four straight postseason games.

His determination was evident throughout October.

“That’s not the trophy I want,” he said after Saturday night’s pennant win in Cleveland. “I want the next one.”

Stanton was born in Panorama City, California and grew up about 15 miles north of Dodger Stadium in the Tujanga section of Los Angeles. He used to watch games from the left field pavilion.

He hit a game-winning 457-foot home run into the pavilion off the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin in the 2022 All-Star Game and hit 10 home runs in 25 regular-season games at Chavez Ravine – the most impressive being a 475-foot drive for Miami in May 2015. Stanton is one of only five players to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium, along with Willie Stargell (twice), Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Given a 13-year contract with the Marlins that was worth a then-record $325 million, Stanton hit 59 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2017, winning the NL MVP Award. His first season in the Bronx was a success with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs, but he missed 266 of 708 games over the next five seasons due to a series of injuries that included right bicep, right knee, left hamstring strains (twice ) and the left quadriceps along with inflammation of the right ankle and tendonitis of the left Achilles tendon.

He came into spring training much leaner this year and hit 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 114 games – between June 22 and July 29 he was sidelined by a left hamstring strain.

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