We’re just three innings into Game 3 between the Yankees and the Red Sox, and things have gotten moving with the first hit of the night. Giancarlo Stanton stepped up against Connelly Early and absolutely smoked one. From the moment the ball left his bat, Stanton carried himself like he knew it was gone, confident, almost certain he’d just launched a homer.

Expectedly, he even threw in some theatrics, pausing and watching the ball with a bit of swagger.

But the ball didn’t quite clear the wall, instead clanging off the fence just inches shy of being a home run. Stanton hustled his way to a double, but here’s where the story really takes a twist… Had he been running hard out of the box from the start, there’s a strong chance he could’ve stretched that into a triple!

“Giancarlo thought he hit a home run,” Talkin’ Yanks shared the very clip of a missed opportunity.

In a game with playoff-like stakes, little details like this stand out hugely. Enough for the Yankees fans to get stunned that Stanton’s showmanship may have cost the team an extra base.

Looking back at a previous matchup between Giancarlo Stanton and Red Sox rookie starter Connelly Early, we understand why Stanton felt confident in the box.

Back on June 11, when Early was still with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Stanton got hold of an 82.5 mph changeup and ripped it into the right-center gap at 110.6 mph, giving Somerset an early 1-0 lead.

But that was the minors. A totally different atmosphere compared to stepping in during a playoff game with an ALDS on the line. We got the proof, Stanton got the proof, and the fans are left fuming…

Stanton gets called out by the fans

Well, Stanton is not always known for his baserunning speed. Notably, his sprint speed is considered slow compared to other major league players, with a recorded speed of 25.5 ft/s per play. He is more about power hitting than base running. “I ain’t seen Stanton run that fast in years LMAOOO,” one fan noticed. Just when Stanton realized that the hit was not going over the fence, he sprinted like there was no tomorrow. Still, the Yankees missed an extra run.

It’s a classic case of celebrating early! “Stanton celebrating a home run off a guy named Early is pure comedy,” another added.

While the fans are all busy wondering about why Stanton sprinted late, the Red Sox have also done their part by just delaying to throw back in. “It took 3-5 business days to throw it back in, probably dying laughing at Stanton thinking it was gone,” another comment read. Two outfielders, confused about picking and throwing to the plate.

“Watching Stanton do a light jog around the bases usually is, and while there is no excuse there, he has to be running immediately unless he hits the ball to the Grand Canyon; it has kept his legs healthy this season.” One fan wonders why Stanton can run early even though he is a slow runner. Stanton was visibly confident about the homer. He was caught looking at the distance and took enough time to realize he was wrong.

“Stanton did basically the same thing in a playoff game at Fenway a few years back and ended up settling for a single. How can a guy who has played as long and hit as many home runs be so bad at judging ball flight?” questioned one. We still remember Giancarlo Stanton’s baserunning issues during the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers. In Game 3, Stanton tried to complete the home plate but eventually got tagged out.

Ultimately, all these theatrics probably gave the community a good reality check about why it’s still far better to run than wait to backfire!