For at least one night, Josh Donaldson will not have to buy his own drink in the Big Apple after he crushed a walk-off grand slam in extra innings to give the New York Yankees a skid-snapping 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at home Wednesday. That might just go down as Donaldson's signature moment of his stint with the Yankees. But more importantly, Donaldson gave the Yankees' morale a much-needed shot in the arm following a debilitating stretch that saw the team lose 11 of 13 games.
Josh Donaldson's uncle suffered a heart attack two days ago, so he hit a grand slam walk-off in his honor.
This one was for Uncle Bill ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1MIztCffLF
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 18, 2022
Before Wednesday's game, the Yankees were also on the verge of getting swept in the three-game series versus American League East division rival Tampa Bay. Donaldson couldn't hide his excitement over what he just pulled off in front of Yankees fans.
Via Larry Fleisher of the Associated Press:
“The guys were pumped,” Donaldson said. “I think just how the game progressed and how the back-and-forth battle happened there, and we were able to kind of come back there with our backs against the wall. I definitely think there was some release of some joy and some frustration over the past couple of weeks for sure.”
“There’s not too many better feelings in the world than hitting a walk-off home run,” Donaldson added.
Josh Donaldson and the Yankees now look forward to sustaining the momentum that they have worked so hard to recapture. They will welcome the Toronto Blue Jays at home for the start of a four-game series this Thursday before a highly-anticipated interleague showdown with the New York Mets next week.
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