What Giancarlo Stanton was feeling after greatest Yankees moment

Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton relives his first signature moment with the Yankees after hitting a two-run, walk-off homer to beat the Seattle Mariners, 7-5, on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 (6/20/18) at Yankee Stadium.

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NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton knew by the sound of his bat that he was about to have his first truly great Yankees moment.

At least the slugging designated hitter thought he knew that the tie-game, ninth-inning, down-the-middle slider from Seattle Mariners righty Ryan Cook that he’d just crushed was leaving the yard.

“It better have gone out because I stood there for a little bit,” Stanton said.

He sure did, and it was way gone for a two-run, walk-off homer. And just like that, the Yankees were 7-5 winners of a game in which they’d trailed 5-0 after 4 1/2 innings in front of another packed house at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s huge, man, just to help us get a win and especially how we came back from 5-0,” said Stanton, whose homer followed a two-out, nobody-on single by Didi Gregorius. “It’s just huge.”

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It was big for the Yankees and bigger for Stanton.

His first 3 1/2 months in a Yankees uniform included some highlights, but his good power numbers have dwarfed the ones that he put up last season when hitting 59 homers and winning the NL MVP playing for the Miami Marlins.

And because Stanton had so many struggles at Yankees Stadium and had been booed loudly on several nights, his first walk-off in pinstripes is one to remember.

But according to Stanton, that wasn’t the reason or even a reason this moment felt so good.

“I’m not worried about me personally,” said Stanton, who is hitting .255 with 18 homers and 42 RBIs in 70 games.. “For the way our team battled back, it’s huge that I could step up in that moment. Me? I’ll be fine.”

Stanton has looked fine of late – he’s hitting .400 with three homers and eight RBI in his last eight games – and he definitely enjoyed this moment, especially the tail end of his home run jog when he moved toward a sea of awaiting happy teammates at home plate.

After excitedly jumping a couple times just before rounding third, Stanton grabbed his batting helmet with his right hand, then he windmilled his arm backwards three times plotting his next move.

“I was trying to decide whether I bowl it or throw it at ’em or throw it up,” Stanton said.

Stanton opted to just gently toss his helmet up into the warm night, then he jumped again onto home plate to start a 25-man celebration that quickly led to a full-bucket head dousing of yellow Gatorade courtesy of Brett Gardner.

“It’s just cool, man,” Stanton said. “It’s a fun moment. It’s good future memories. That’s what you always want. You help win a game and you’ve got the whole team waiting for you.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.