Bullpen helps Yanks rally to win

Severino bounced after just one out, but relievers deliver.

NEW YORK — Minutes into the playoff debut for these young New York Yankees, they trailed Minnesota by three runs. Their starting pitcher lasted just one out. Could their postseason be over almost before it began?

Nope. A strange AL wildcard game was only just beginning.

Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius and a brilliant bullpen lifted the Yankees to their first postseason victory in five years. Gregorius’ three-run homer tied the score in the first inning after Minnesota knocked out Luis Severino, Judge showed his most emotion this season when he hit a two-run shot in his playoff debut, and the Yankees beat the Twins 8-4 Tuesday night. New York plays the Indians in a best-of-five Division Series starting today.

Brett Gardner also homered for the Yankees, who chased Ervin Santana after two innings and again eliminated Minnesota from the playoffs. Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 8⅔ innings of onerun, five-hit relief, striking out 13 to tie the postseason record for a bullpen.

Twins manager Paul Molitor marveled at Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s use of relievers over 142 pitches. “He extended some guys probably past their comfort zone,” the Hall of Famer said. “They still performed.”

Brian Dozier led off the game with a homer and Eddie Rosario hit a two-run drive as the Twins took a quick lead. But Santana went to full counts on eight of 11 batters, Gregorius erased the deficit in this one 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 follow a 100-loss season with a playoff appearance, lost a 13th consecutive postseason game, tying the record set by Boston from 1986-95. The Twins have been eliminated by the Yankees in five of their last six playoff appearances.

Judge scored three runs, hitting a single to help ignite the first-inning rally, smoking a 108 mph home run off losing pitcher Jose Berrios in the fourth, and walking in the seventh before coming home when Alan Busenitz walked Aaron Hicks with the bases loaded. Judge shouted in excitement as he rounded first base after the homer, his face flush with emotion.

New York had made only one postseason appearance since 2012, losing the 2015 wild-card game.

At 23, Severino was the youngest Yankees postseason starter since Andy Pettitte in 1995. The right-hander lasted 29 pitches, replaced by Green with runners at second and third. Green struck out two, then fanned three in a row in the second. Robertson came in with the bases loaded in the third and allowed Byron Buxton’s RBI grounder, then struck out Castro.

Robertson tired in the sixth but earned the win, leaving after 52 pitches and 3⅓ innings, his longest outing in the majors.