A catch, a swing and one big win
NEW YORK — Good thing for Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees that Aaron Judge is 6-foot-7.
Judge prevented a home run to save Tanaka’s seven-inning gem, Greg Bird homered off relief ace Andrew Miller and New York edged the Cleveland Indians 1-0 Sunday night in Game 3 to extend their AL Division Series.
“He was brilliant,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said about Tanaka, who earned his first postseason win. “He gave us everything we needed.”
Aroldis Chapman got a five-out save as the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep by the defending AL champions. With two on in the ninth, Chapman struck out cleanup hitter and former Reds teammate Jay Bruce before Carlos Santana flied out to end it.
New York got a splendid performance from Tanaka in an old-fashioned October pitching duel with Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco. Tanaka received a big boost when Judge robbed Francisco Lindor of a two-run homer in the sixth.
Bird came through with the huge hit New York had to have when he connected against Miller in the seventh.
“I was really excited, I’m not going to lie,” said Bird, who was pumped up as he returned to the dugout.
Game 4 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium, with Luis Severino to start for New York. Cleveland will go with Game 1 winner Trevor Bauer on three days’ rest, though there’s rain in the forecast.
“I consider this normal rest for me. I enjoy pitching on short” rest, Bauer said. “If I could draw it out, personally, this is how I’d pitch every time.”
New York rebounded from a bruising, 13-inning loss Friday in Game 2 that led to heavy criticism of Girardi, booed Sunday by the home crowd in pregame introductions.
“Not the first time. I kind of expected it,” Girardi said, acknowledging it’s no fun to hear catcalls. “I’ve seen them boo players and managers that have a lot more status than I do. So I prepared for it. I prepared my family for it.”
This was the Yankees’ first 1-0 postseason victory since Game 3 of their 2001 ALDS against Oakland, when Derek Jeter’s backhanded flip beat Jeremy Giambi to the plate for a crucial, memorable out.
Judge’s grab was the big defensive play Sunday. With a runner on first in a scoreless game, Lindor lofted a sixthinning drive toward the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. Judge backed up to the wall and barely needed to jump to extend his glove above the fence and make the catch.
“Who better to reach up there and grab it than him?” Bird said.
The sellout crowd of 48,614 roared and Judge flashed a bright smile. It was the first time the rookie had robbed an opponent of a home run and the first time Lindor had ever been so denied, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Tanaka tipped his cap in appreciation and held Cleveland down until he was done. The right-hander, beaten 3-0 by Dallas Keuchel and Houston in the 2015 AL wild-card game, struck out seven, walked one and allowed three hits.
The biggest test for Tanaka came in the fourth, after Jason Kipnis’ one-out triple glanced off the thumb of Judge’s glove in deep right and rolled away.
Tanaka bore down and fanned No. 3 batter Jose Ramirez and Bruce, then turned to shout and slapped his mitt in excitement.
“I came here to pitch in these type of games,” Tanaka said through a translator.