Knowing they needed to be “Brave” against an Atlanta team that was just as hot as they were and had won nine straight entering this series, the Yankees brought their best baseball to Truist Park and ran their MLB-best winning streak up to 11 games by sweeping the two-game series.

Gamone saw Giancarlo Stanton drive in three runs, and Gary Sanchez adde a pair for insurance, while the Yankees received a solid pitching performance by Jordan Montgomery, as well as a lights-out performance by the bullpen that resulted in a 5-1 victory to open the series.

In game two, the Yankees rallied from an early deficit as Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Roughened Odor went deep, while the New York bullpen fended off a late Atlanta rally in an exhilarating 5-4 win, completing their third straight series sweep, and the Yankees 10th straight series victory.

GAME ONE: YANKEES 5 BRAVES 1:

This was the first time since 1901, that two teams with nine-game winning streaks clashed with each other, and it sure did feel that way early on in the contest. In the top of the second inning, Giancarlo Stanton took Braves starter Gabriel Ynoa deep for a solo shot but was answered by Dansby Swanson, who playing in his 125th consecutive game took Jordan Montgomery deep in the bottom half of the second to even the game at a run apiece. Later in the inning, Atalanta threatened to forge ahead, but an air-born diving catch by Joey Gallo in left field on a line drive by Guillmero Heredia kept the game even at a run apiece. In the top of the sixth, Giancarlo Stanton once again broke the tie with a two-run double, before a two-run single in the eighth inning by Gary Sanchez increased the lead to 5-1. On the flip side, Jordan Montgomery gave the team length, before Jonathan Loasiga(Two scoreless), Wandy Peralta, and Aroldis Chapman “chopped” up the Braves offense to lock up the series-opening win.

GAME TWO YANKEES 5 BRAVES 4:

If anyone could stop the Yankees hot streak, you would think it would be Charlie Morton and his wicked curveball. But that ultimately wasn’t the case, as despite netting 10 strikeouts over five strong innings, he twirled two hangers and both were destroyed into the seats. After Dansby Swanson doubled home two for Atlanta off New York starter Andrew Heaney in the first inning, Giancarlo Stanton took Morton deep in the second to cut the Braves lead in half. The Bombers would continue to make Charlie work for his outs, and it would pay off in the fourth when a Gary Sanchez RBI single brought the team even. In the top of the fifth, DJ LeMahieu unloaded for a deep drive to left field, sending the visiting fans in attendance into a frenzy, as his two-run shot put the Yankees ahead for good at 4-2. But “Hotlanta” seemed to regain its mojo in the bottom half of the fifth when Ozzie Albies singled home a tally, but on that same play, Freddie Freeman was out on a controversial finish at the dish. Upon replay, Freddie’s foot appeared to hit the base before Gary Sanchez applied the tag which would’ve evened the game once more, but the  MLB replay officials stood with the decision of home plate umpire Chris Conroy, preserving the New York advantage. In the top of the seventh, Rougned Odor walloped a moonshot above the “Chophouse” in the right field for a bomb that restored the two-run lead at 5-3. After a scoreless inning by Clay Holmes, and two scoreless frames by Chad Green, the Yankees turned to their closer Aroldis Chapman to secure the sweep and the season series.

Initially, it looked like another stress-free outing when he broke Travis Darnu’d bat on the leadoff groundout, but an  Adam Duval single, and a two-out four-pitch walk to the #9 hitter in Luis Arianza set the stage for Atlanta slugger Ozzie Albies to play spoiler to the hottest team in the big leagues.

After the count went full, Chapman delivered an 84MPH slider towards the lower part of the zone, but Albies just barely fouled it off to keep himself alive. On the very next pitch, Albies hit a slow roller to Odor which looked as if it would wrap things up, but he overthrew it pulling the first baseman Anthony Rizzo off the bag, which loaded the bases.

A Jorge Soler RBI walk later, resulted in NYY manager Aaron Boone lifting his closer for lefty specialist Wandy Peralta, to face the reigning NL MVP in Freddie Freeman with the winning streak on the line, prompting Atlanta fans to “Chop away” with their chances of winning in their best hitters hands.

After slapping himself in the face to get himself in the ready, Wandy proceeded to throw five straight changeups to Freeman as the count ran full. But on the delivery of the evening for better or for worse, Freddie lofted a high fly ball to deep left field, that on a windy day in Truist Park would likely drop in for a walk-off single. But on this humid night (8/23), the ball hung in the air long enough for Joey Gallo to get to it and squeeze the series-sweeping out for the 5-4 Bombers victory. The win extends the winning streak to 11 games(a franchise-best since 1985) and puts the team at a season-high 22 games over 500.

SERIES MVP: GIANCARLO STANTON

STAT SO?

The Yankees are

11-0 in their last 11 games

18-3 in their last 21 games

21-4 since July 30th, which was around the trade deadline

33-11 since being 41-41 on July 4th

OUT OF TOWN SCOREBOARD:

• The Seattle Mariners(69-58) swept the Oakland Athletics(70-57)  5-3, 5-1 to pull within one game in the Wild Card race. Oakland is now five games back of the white-hot Yankees entering their four-game series at the Coliseum on Thursday evening.
• The Tampa Bay Rays(78-47) took care of business against the Philadelphia Phillies(63-63) 3-1, 7-4 to maintain their 4.5 game lead over the Bombers in the AL East.
• The Boston Red Sox(72-56) fell to the Minnesota Twins 9-6 in 10 innings on Wednesday, falling four games back of the Yankees for the first Wildcard spot, and only lead the A’s by 1.5 games (One in the loss column) for the second Wildcard spot.

UP NEXT:

The Yankees(74-52) will travel to the Coliseum in Oakland to battle the A’s In a pivotal four games series with potential playoff implications.

Here are the pitching matchups:

Thursday 9:40 PM ET: Jamison Tallion (NYY) vs James Kaprielian(OAK)

Friday9:40 PM ET: Gerrit Cole(NYY) vs Sean Manaea(OAK)

Saturday4:40 PM ET: Nestor Cortes JR(NYY) vs Frankie Montas(OAK)

Sunday night baseball 7:08 PM ET:

Jordan Montgomery (NYY) vs Paul Blackburn(OAK)