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Giancarlo Stanton is back beneath the Mendoza Line and firmly back in the target zone for the fans at Yankee Stadium.
Stanton struck out three times with a walk and also was doubled off of first base on a popped-up bunt by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the second inning of the skidding Yankees’ 8-1 loss Saturday to the Red Sox.
Over his past seven games, Stanton is 2-for-21 with 12 strikeouts, dropping his batting average this season to .199.
Fans heavily booed Stanton after he struck out for the second out of the ninth inning against Red Sox reliever Mauricio Llovera.
“Just off, off timing-wise, just leaving the zone a little bit too much,” manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton after the game. “I thought he had a couple of pitches to hit today and just was kind of in and out of the zone a little bit.
“I think we’re seeing that a little bit today with a couple of our guys. We’re scuffling right now in a lot of places, so we gotta keep figuring it out. You don’t want anyone to struggle, certainly not in the middle of the order, but that’s where we are right now.”
The streaky slugger had 11 home runs in 26 games between July 8 and Aug. 9, but he hasn’t homered in his past 26 at-bats.
Greg Allen started in left field after Boone revealed that Billy McKinney has been dealing with “some back stiffness.”
Allen reached base three times on an error, a hit-by-pitch and a single in three plate appearances, but he also lost a fly ball in the sun for a Boston run in the eighth inning.
“I want to get him in there, one. Pretty righty-heavy lineup today,” Boone said of Allen before the game. “Gerrit [Cole] being a flyball guy, I definitely like the extra really good defender out there.
“And Billy’s a little beat up with, even though he played through it [Friday] , the back, so you want to give him a day. Day game after a night game, I didn’t want to run him back out there. So just like the athleticism with Greg.”
Asked about McKinney’s back issue, Boone later added, “I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Jonathan Loaisiga threw a scoreless fifth inning. He has retired all 13 batters he has faced since his return from the injured list on Aug. 7.