Yankees bullpen caps another Twin killing
Relief crew put to work early as New York extends Minnesota’s post-season misery
Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius and a brilliant bullpen rescued New York from a rugged start and lifted the Yankees to their first post-season win in five years.
Gregorius’ three-run homer tied the score after Minnesota knocked out Luis Severino in the first inning, a pumped-up Judge showed his most emotion this season when he hit a two-run shot in his postseason debut and the Yankees beat the Twins 8-4 Tuesday in the AL wild-card game.
Brett Gardner also homered for the Yankees, who chased Ervin Santana after two innings and once again knocked the Twins out of the playoffs.
Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 82/3 innings of one-run, five-hit relief.
New York opens the AL Division Series Thursday at Cleveland. The Twins lost their 13th consecutive post-season game, tying the record set by Boston from 1986-95.
Brian Dozier led off the game with a home run and Eddie Rosario hit a two-run drive as the Twins burst to a quick lead and stunned the sellout crowd of 49,280 at Yankee Stadium.
But Santana wasn’t much better than Severino, going to full counts on eight of 11 batters. Gregorius erased the lead four batters into the bottom of the first and Santana was removed after six outs and 64 pitches with the Twins trailing 4-3.
Minnesota, the first team to rebound from a 100-loss season to make the playoffs the following year, has been eliminated by the Yankees in five of its last six postseason appearances and has not won a playoff series since 2002.
Judge, who set a rookie record with 52 home runs, was given a Ruthian ovation with several sections of fans holding signs in his honour spelling out “All Rise!” He scored three runs, singling to help ignite the first-inning rally, smoking a 108-m.p.h. home run off loser Jose Berrios in the fourth and walking in the seventh and coming home when Alan Busenitz walked Jacoby Ellsbury with the bases loaded.
New York had made just one post-season appearance since 2012, losing the 2015 wild-card game to Houston 3-0. Just three Yankees who started that game were in the starting lineup, part of a Baby Bombers movement that purged the roster of veterans.
At 23, Severino was the youngest Yankees post-season starter since Andy Pettitte in 1995. The righthander lasted only 29 pitches on a crisp autumn night and matched the Yankees’ shortest post-season start by Bob Turley in Game 2 of the 1958 World Series and Art Ditmar in the 1960 World Series opener. Dozier homered into the left-field seats on a 99-m.p.h. fastball and Rosario lined a slider just over the right-field porch.
Severino was shaking his head as walked to the dugout and Green replaced him with runners at second and third. Green struck out Byron Buxton and Jason Castro, then fanned three in a row in the second.
Green gave up Jorge Polanco’s single and a pair of walks in the third. Robertson came in with the bases loaded and gave up Buxton’s RBI grounder, then struck out Castro.
Robertson tired in the sixth, but earned the win, leaving after 52 pitches and 31/3 innings — both career highs.
Kahnle relieved him with a runner on and retired Joe Mauer on a fly out to the warning track. After Kahnle threw 21/3 innings, Chapman struck out three around a hit in the ninth.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
After a moment of silence for victims of the Las Vegas shooting, Broadway star Aaron Tveit asked fans to join him in singing the StarSpangled Banner. Players on both teams remained at attention on the field until the colour guard reached the foul line. Yankees pitcher Chasen Shreve, a Las Vegas native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
WAY BACK WHEN
When the Yankees last won a post-season game, Judge was at Fresno State. Greg Bird had just finished a season with the singleA Staten Island Yankees, Gary Sanchez with the single-A Tampa Yankees and Severino with the Dominican Summer League Yankees.
MISSED
Zack Granite replaced Buxton in the fourth, two innings after the centre-fielder crashed into the wall robbing Todd Frazier of an extra-base hit.