Torres continues his tear
Yankees second baseman, 22, finishes 3-for-5, makes history with five RBIs
The Yankees’ storied history already boasts a Mr. October.
Gleyber Torres has a long way to go to reach Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson’s level when it comes to postseason heroics, but he’s off to quite an auspicious start.
New York’s 22-year-old second baseman was a one-man wrecking crew Saturday night, driving in five runs to pace the Yankees’ 7-0 victory over the Astros in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.
Torres, who turns 23 on Dec. 13, became the youngest player in American League history to have a five-RBI playoff game. After hitting sixth in the ALDS sweep of the Twins, he was moved to third in the lineup and thrived.
“Not really,” Torres said when asked if he was surprised at what he’s done at such a young age. “During my career in the minor leagues, I prepared myself really well for every situation. I take all those experiences and put all of (that) in my game.”
Torres’ monster night gave him nine RBIs in four playoff games this year, all Yankees victories. In his postseason career, he’s hitting 12-for-33 (.363), including 8-for-17 (.470) this year.
“He likes playing in these situations and he’s confident in his ability to produce,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “And that leads to a dangerous player.”
Torres, who came to the Yankees in 2016 as part of the trade that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, has all of of 267 regular-season games and another nine in the postseason under his belt. But he operates like a longtime major leaguer.
“(He’s) smart (and) confident,” Boone said. “And when you have talent, that’s a really good combination. He’s always had that since he’s come to the big leagues, and he just plays the game with kind of a free and easy way and a confidence about his game. And I think the intelligence part is big because it’s allowed him to continue to grow and get better at all of the little things. He comes into the game prepared.”
Torres struck out in his first atbat Saturday, but that was the only time the Astros got the best of him with the series opener still in doubt.
In the third inning, he came up with one out and a runner on second. He promptly pulverized Astros starter Zack Greinke’s 85.5 mph first-pitch slider into the leftcenter field gap for the game’s first run.
With Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka doing his part and facing the minimum through five innings, Torres provided some insurance in the top of the sixth.
With one out, he went after Greinke’s first pitch again, lofting a 90 mph fastball into the left-field Crawford Boxes for a solo homer.
“That was a fastball that wasn’t supposed to be where it ended up, and he didn’t miss it, which is why he’s one of the better hitters,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
“He didn’t miss any pitches. (It) just looked like he was locked in on pitches, whether he sort of looked at the right location, right spot.”
Torres the put the finishing touches on the Astros in the seventh inning. With two outs and the bases loaded against reliever Ryan Pressly, Torres battled to a full count before blooping a single into center field to plate two more runs for a 5-0 lead.
He capped his night with an RBI fielder’s choice in the ninth.
However, he’s not resting on his laurels, not with Justin Verlander, who’s dominated the Yankees during his postseason career, awaiting in Game 2.
“We’re focused on (Sunday),” Torres said. “It’s the same mentality — try to attack early and (score) some runs. We’ve got a really good team and we believe in what we can do and we’ll compete (in Game 2).”