TRIBE TALKIN’
YANKS LIMP INTO FIRST ROUND VS. INDIANS, BUT SAY THEY CAN TURN THINGS AROUND
Borrowing one of Derek Jeter’s favorite quotes regarding this time of the year, Brett Gardner addressed the crapshoot that often is MLB’s postseason.
“As I have said before, it is not always the best team that wins the World Series, it is the team that plays the best in October,’’ Gardner said after the Yankees dropped their regular-season finale, 5-0, on Sunday at Yankee Stadium to the Marlins, who also qualified for the 16-team tournament. “Hopefully, that will be us. Obviously, we have played some baseball here recently we would like to forget. Get on the plane, turn the page and get off to a good start Tuesday.’’
Having lost six of their final eight games, the Yankees headed to Cleveland on Sunday evening to face the Indians in the best-of-three wildcard series that opens Tuesday night at Progressive Field. Every game of the series will be played there because the Indians are seeded higher than the Yankees.
Not finishing with the best record among the AL’s three second-place finishers hurts the Yankees, because it means they have to play away from The Bronx for the initial round of games. The Yankees went 22-9 at the Stadium and 11-18 on the road.
Yes, no fans takes away any homefield advantage, but the Yankees are used to hitting at the Stadium, where some tailor their swings to the short right-field dimensions.
Due to MLB condensing its 60-game schedule into geographic regions, the Yankees (East) and Indians (Central) didn’t meet this season.
With Shane Bieber the heavy favorite to start Game 1 for the Indians and the Yankees countering with Gerrit Cole, there might not be a better pitching matchup in the entire postseason.
“Obviously they are a great club with tremendous starting pitching and a team I know has been playing well the last couple of weeks and finished strong. I know we will have our hands full,’’ Aaron Boone said of the Indians, who won eight of their last 10 games. “Looking forward to the challenge of having a good series.’’
Rightfully so, Boone mentioned the strength of the Indians’ starting pitching and how his hurlers will have to neutralize a lineup that houses Jose Ramirez.
“He is having an MVP-type season,’’ Boone said. “It is going to be challenging, but this is the postseason and we can’t wait to get there.’’
When the Yankees start Game 1, their most complete hitter firmly believes they are the best team with the most talent on the AL side of the draw despite an up-anddown finish as they lost 15 of 20, won 10 straight and dropped six of their final eight.
“We had a couple of games snowball on us and we couldn’t rebound. I think we have the best team in the league, still, definitely the most talented,’’ said LeMahieu, who copped his second batting title by finishing at .364 with a 2-for-3 Sunday. “I don’t know why it was so up and down. I’ll chalk it up to 2020. I know in the playoffs we are going to be extremely focused and ready to go.’’
As Sunday’s game approached the finish line, Gardner admitted to looking around the only ballpark he has called home in the big leagues. At 37 and coming off a subpar year, there is no guarantee the longesttenured Yankee returns via free agency.
And he also is aware the Yankees staggered to the finish line and there is a need to get back on solid footing.
“We are not pleased with the way we played recently, but starting today what has happened in the past over the course of this season is just that, the past,’’ said Gardner, who had three of the Yankees’ six hits Sunday.
If the play doesn’t improve the 2020 past will arrive a lot sooner than the Yankees would like..