Saturday, June 22, 2019

Yankees' HOPE Week Magic Continues On The Field After Honoring Worthy Causes

Cameron Maybin gives Kiko Mina, whom the Yankees presented with an AdaptAbility bike, a fist bump, as Manager Aaron Boone looks on. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees completed their fourth-ever HOPE Week sweep on Friday night with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium.


The Yankees went 5-0 during HOPE Week this season, with three wins over Tampa Bay and two over Houston. The other three instances came in the first-ever HOPE (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) Week in 2009 (5-0), 2014 (4-0) and 2016 (5-0).

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone was at Friday's HOPE Week in Brooklyn when an AdaptAbility bike was presented to a 14-year-old with special needs, Kiko Mina.

"It's amazing," Boone said of what events like this mean. "HOPE Week, we get to touch some lives, but as I say, inevitably, it ends up touching probably even way more. To get to meet Kiko today, to see what a confident, charismatic, kind of 'own the room' kind of kid he is, and to see the joy he's getting from this amazing gift, and to get to meet his parents, knowing they're coming to the game tonight to hang a little bit more, this warms your heart."

The Yankees started HOPE Week on Monday with a 10th Anniversary celebration party on the field at Yankee Stadium with honoreess from past years participating. On Tuesday, the Yankees honored Runway Heroes with a show at Kleinfeld bridal store. On Wednesday, renowned magician The Great Olmedini entertained a kindergarten class from P.S. 73 at the Plymouth Rock Kids' Clubhouse at The Stadium. On Thursday, the Yankees visited the Furniture Sharehouse in Westchester and helped two local families pick out furniture.

Since HOPE Week commenced in 2009, the Yankees' overall record in games during the week is 38-13. 

They are 25-5 since July 10, 2013, and are 8-1 the past two seasons.

In 51 HOPE Week games, the Yankees are averaging 5.12 runs per game (261 runs total), and have hit 70 home runs.

Speaking of the long ball, the Yankees extended their home run streak to 24 consecutive games in Friday night's win. Gary Sanchez hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Gleyber Torres got one of his own in the seventh, and that was all offense the Yankees needed.

This is now the second-longest streak in franchise history, just one game away from tying the Yankees' record of 25 straight games with a home run going back to June 1-29, 1941.

The Yankees' 24-game home run streak is the longest in the Majors this season, and is the longest in the league in three seasons.

When they have hit at least two home runs in a game, as they did Friday night, they are a Major League-best 29-3, the second-best mark in the Majors.

The Yankees passed Houston, who fell to 30-4 when they hit at least two dingers. One such instance of Houston losing when they hit at least two homers came on Thursday, when they belted four in a 10-6 loss to the Yankees, who also hit four of their own.

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