Aaron Boone had an ace up his sleeve.

After the Tampa Bay Rays forced extra innings Wednesday with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees manager turned to red-hot Giancarlo Stanton to pinch-hit in the 10th.

And Stanton delivered, drilling a go-ahead two-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in the Yankees’ 6-4 victory.

“What a weapon to have over there at that point of the game,” Boone remarked afterward.

Indeed, Stanton has excelled as a pinch-hitter this season, adding an element to his game that wasn’t as necessary when he started every day.

Going into Thursday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx, Stanton was 4-for-7 (.571) with two home runs, six RBI, two walks and a 2.238 OPS as a pinch-hitter this year.

In his 15 seasons before

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