Sanchez fastest in MLB history to 11 homers

NEW YORK -- Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez enjoyed his first career curtain call after becoming the fastest player in Major League history to reach 11 home runs, doing so in his 23rd career game on Saturday in the Yankees' 13-5 win against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
Sanchez connected for an opposite-field blast off Baltimore starter Dylan Bundy in the fourth inning, clearing the wall in right-center field and giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead at the time. Statcast™ measured Sanchez's homer at 370 feet.
"I don't have an explanation for it," Sanchez said, through an interpreter. "I'm doing the same routine that I was doing in the Minor Leagues, I'm doing it here. I'm getting really good results right now. That's it."

This marked Sanchez's 20th game since being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 3, having also appeared in a May 13 contest and twice last season. This time, the 23-year-old appears to be up to stay, powering the Yankees back into the postseason chase on both sides of the ball.
"It's unbelievable," Yankees infielder Starlin Castro said. "I think he's really impressive. It's fun to watch. Every time he goes to the plate, we feel like something's going to happen in a good way. It's pretty awesome."
Sanchez went 2-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts on Saturday, giving him a even .400 (32-for-80) average with a .467 on-base percentage and a .900 slugging percentage.
"Right now, it seems like he's seeing the ball really good," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He had some walks today, which tells me he's seeing the ball good. He's not going out of his zone. He seems to be hitting everything."

Sanchez also threw out Julio Borbon attempting to steal in the fourth inning and has caught six of nine potential basestealers.
"You can have the strongest arm ever and they'll still try to steal bases," Sanchez said. "It's part of the game. I feel good right now."

Sanchez's 11 home runs in August are the most hit in a month by a Major League rookie since the Brewers' Ryan Braun also hit 11 homers in July 2007. They're the most by an American League rookie since Mark McGwire hit 15 for the Athletics in May 1987.
Sanchez has scored 18 runs with seven doubles and 21 RBIs, and those 21 RBIs through 23 games are tied with Hideki Matsui for the second most in Yankees history, trailing only Joe DiMaggio (25). Since 1913, Sanchez's 32 hits are the second most by a Yankee through 23 career games; DiMaggio had 42 in 1936.
"It's a nice feeling to feel that my name is somehow near these guys that have been so good in baseball," Sanchez said. "It's a nice feeling."