Gary Sanchez stuns defending HR Derby champion Giancarlo Stanton
In a first-round upset of epic stature,New York YankeescatcherGary Sanchezstunned defending champion Giancarlo Stanton with a 17-16 victory in Monday night's 2017 Home Run Derby.
TheMiami Marlinsslugger had one final swing in the bonus round to tie Sanchez but popped it up. He had another swing after the buzzer that also resulted in a popup.
Sanchez, the player with the lowest home run total of the eight participants, received criticism fromRaysfirst baseman Logan Morrison for being invited, but put on a spectacular display in his round. His longest homer measured 483 feet, and he also hit a 411-foot screamer that had a max exit velocity of 116.0 mph.
After a slow start for Stanton in which he hit low line drives on his first four swings, he picked things up and got in a groove, including a 496-foot shot, a couple that flew over the home run sculpture in center field, and six total that went more than 480 feet.
Stanton was at 13 home runs with 59 seconds to go in his round, but tired and hit five popups in a row before recovering to hit two more homers on his final two swings. But he hit just one in the 30-second bonus round.
