Giancarlo Stanton destroyed a match on Wednesday evening. That’s why you tolerate him “clogging” the designated hitter spot in the Yankee lineup and sometimes the base paths.

If you have this kind of power and can perform in the most exciting moments, it doesn’t matter if you’re not a plus base runner.

All the fuss about the things Stanton can’t do seems so laughable in the wake of his sublime performance in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Royals. Stanton essentially outplayed the Yankees to a 3-2 victory in, as he put it, “a huge swing game.”

He hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the top of the eighth inning to give the Yanks what would be their final margin of victory. That’s after he hit an RBI double earlier in the evening to drive in their first run.

He finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Stanton even stole a base.

It was a huge performance on a night when the rest of his teammates were a combined 1-for-25. The only other hit was one Anthony Volpe single.

Without Stanton’s swings — and the bullpen, which has been great all series — the Yankees’ season might be the season on the brink of this best-of-five affair, and not the Royals, who will trying to stay alive with Thursday’s victory. Game 4.

‘He’s a killer,’ Yankee manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton in the post-game interview room. “It’s remarkable, but I just admire how well he can focus on these big moments and go to a different place mentally. The at bat on the home run was phenomenal. I think he went there to do that and a really tough reliever came in (Kris) Bubicwho is a neutral man who picks out rightists and leftists.

“I thought he made all the right pitches and got the one he was looking for and didn’t miss it. Obviously it’s a great night for him.”

“This is what I came here for,” Stanton said in the interrogation room. “It won’t always be successful, but you just have to keep working and give yourself the best opportunities.”

It is the first go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in a postseason game by a Yankee since Raul Ibanez during the 2012 ALDS.

Stanton’s big night was partly crucial for these Yankees Aaron Judgetheir best player, is 1-for-11 in the series. Although Stanton said of Judge, “He’s definitely going to do some damage, it’s just a matter of time,” it still stands to reason that Judge’s fight in October will remain a pinstripe theme for as long as they last.

The rotation has not performed well, posting a 6.08 ERA through the first three games, although they are hopeful Gerrit Kool is better in Game 4. However, the bullpen (13.2 innings pitched, one unearned run allowed) was a continued delight.

But if the Yanks do indeed make progress and accomplish something great in October, Stanton’s home run will likely blossom into a signature moment of whatever run they go on.

And that’s how it should be. Stanton has been a regular contributor in October since donning pinstripes in 2018. He now has 12 home runs and 27 RBI in 30 postseason games with the Yankees. Yes, there have been some playoff at-bats where he’s swung at unhittable breaking balls in the other batter’s box. But in a postseason era when the Yankees have struggled too often on offense as a team, he has remained dangerous.

Postseason Giancarlo is perhaps the best Giancarlo.

In fact, his .964 OPS in the playoffs compares nicely with some big Yankee names. It’s not a complete list, just picked a few, but it’s quite interesting. Babe Rutte And Lou Gehrigtwo of the greatest postseason beasts of all time, each had a career-high 1.214 OPS in October. Hard to match. But Stanton has a higher postseason OPS then Mickey Mantle (.908), who hit 18 World Series home runs, Derek Jeter (.838) and Joe DiMaggio (.760).

Make of it what you will, but that’s at least an indication of Stanton’s value to the Yankees in these types of crucial, high-heart rate games.

Before Wednesday night’s game, Stanton said he did some early batting practice, hoping to get comfortable with the backdrop of Kauffman Stadium and gauge how the ball traveled. He also liked the idea of ​​going to work when it’s a bit quiet, just working and seeing what I can do.

It worked. His home run came on a 3-1 slider by Bubic that he cracked 450 feet to left field. MLB’s Statcast measured the exit velocity at 182.9 miles per hour.

“It wasn’t a bad throw,” Stanton said. “Just under form, was on time and was able to get it out.”

He got his stolen base earlier in the game when the Royals weren’t paying him any attention to the bases and he raced to second with a huge leap. It was his first theft – it was his first attempt! — since 2020. He joked that his teammates’ reactions to the flyout were “probably better than the homer, to be honest.”

But that’s not really his game. And that’s okay. He’s not the plucky singles hitter you hope can knock out an infield hit or two. His play is pure power, the kind he showed in Game 3, and that suits the Yankees, who led the MLB with 237 home runs.

If the Yankees get another dose in Game 4, they could potentially end the series. That puts them one step closer to a truly memorable place and, with or without another stolen base, gives Stanton more games to potentially break.