Yankees power past Twins
New York prevails 8-4 in wild-card game to advance to ALDS
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius and a brilliant bullpen rescued New York from a rugged start and lifted the Yankees to their first post-season victory in five years.
Gregorius’ three-run homer tied the score after Minnesota knocked out Luis Severino in the first inning, a pumpedup 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 in the AL wild-card game.
Brett Gardner also homered for the Yankees, who chased Ervin Santana after two innings and once again eliminated the Twins from the playoffs.
Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run, five-hit relief, striking out 13 to tie the post-season record for a bullpen.
“It was just remarkable,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
New York opens a best-of-five Division Series on Thursday at the AL Central champion Indians.
“We’re not done yet,” Judge said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling in 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 tworun drive as the Twins burst to a quick lead and stunned the sellout crowd of 49,280 at Yankee Stadium.
But Santana was little 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.
“You can sit here and try to imagine if it was 0-0 after the first what it would have felt like compared to scoring three and giving three back,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “It’s the exhilaration of jumping out . . . and then the deflation of giving it back so quickly.”
Minnesota, the first team to rebound from a 100-loss season and make the playoffs the following year, has been eliminated by the Yankees in five of its last six post-season appearances and has not won a playoff series since 2002.
Judge, the 6-foot-7 sensation 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, hitting a single 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.
Judge shouted in excitement as he rounded first base after the homer, his face flush with emotion.
“This place was rocking. It was incredible,” he said.
At 23, Severino was the youngest Yankees post-season starter since Andy Pettitte in 1995. The right-hander lasted only 29 pitches on a crisp autumn night and matched the Yankees’ shortest postseason start, by Bob Turley in Game 2 of the 1958 World Series and Art Ditmar in the 1960 World Series opener.