The New York Yankees won Game 3 of the ALDS because of Giancarlo Stanton's bat. He hit an RBI double and a home run to lift the team to victory. Stanton also picked up a stolen base, his first since 2020. The dugout exploded and even though he didn't score, it was a big lift for the team. He spoke with ESPN's Jeff Passan about the unlikely steal.

“Probably better than the homer, to be honest,” Stanton said.

While it did not have an impact on the final score, the stolen base did change the vibe in the dugout. The tense game continued after that and the bullpen shut down the Royals, leaving the door open for Stanton. He smoked a no-doubt home run in the eighth inning to take a 3-2 lead that Luke Weaver saved.

While Stanton has caught the ire of Yankees fans in his tenure, he has been excellent in the playoffs. He has a .964 OPS in 30 postseason games, all with New York. It began in 2018 when he hit a home run in the Wild Card Game against the Athletics. He was solid in the 2019 ALCS before he got hurt, dominated in the 2020 Division Series, and went 3-4 in the 2021 Wild Card game.

This was the biggest homer of Stanton's postseason career and can change the Yankees' postseason outlook.

Yankees' postseason hopes ride on Giancarlo Stanton

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The Yankees are one win away from the ALCS despite not looking like the offensive juggernaut they were for most of the season. That's because Aaron Judge has been held to just one hit in the series. His infield single was not the home run that many are used to seeing and it has cost the Bombers. They must get a better performance out of their captain.

Stanton's emergence has helped the Yankees stay in this series and now take the lead. Juan Soto and Anthony Volpe have been solid offensively as well, but nothing like Stanton. The team will be nearly unstoppable if Stanton and Judge get rolling at the same time and there is no better time for that to start than Thursday night.

The Yankees have a chance to close out the Kansas City Royals on the road on Thursday night. They have their ace Gerrit Cole pitching and a favorable matchup against righty Michael Wacha. It's favorable for everyone besides Judge, who is 1-20 in his career against Wacha.

Game 4 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Royals begins at 8:07 on Thursday night. If the Royals win, Game 5 will be back in The Bronx on Saturday.