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SPORTS Thursday 5 OcTOber 2017

Gregorius, Judge, bullpen rally wild-card Yanks past Twins

By RONALD BLUM five-hit relief, striking out 13 “I was hyped, and I tried to
AP Baseball Writer to tie the postseason re- get the game going, tried
NEW YORK (AP) — Minutes cord for a bullpen. to get the guys going,” he
into the playoff debut for “It was just remarkable,” said.
these young New York Yankees manager Joe Gi- Judge, the 6-foot-7 sensa-
Yankees, they trailed Min- rardi said. tion who set a rookie re-
nesota by three runs. Their Twins manager Paul Molitor cord with 52 home runs,
starting pitcher lasted just marveled at the Yankees was given a Ruthian ova-
one out. A sellout crowd relievers and Girardi’s use tion, with several sections
was stunned. of them over 142 pitches. of fans holding signs in
Could their postseason be “He extended some guys his honor spelling out “All
over almost before it be- probably past their comfort Rise!” He scored three runs,
gan? zone,” the Hall of Famer hitting a single to help ig-
Nope. A strange AL wild- said. “They still performed.” nite the first-inning rally,
card game was only just Brian Dozier led off the smoking a 108 mph home
beginning. game with a home run and run off loser Jose Berrios in
“We’ve had a quite a few Eddie Rosario hit a two-run the fourth and walking in
games where we’ve got- drive as the Twins burst to a the seventh before coming
ten down early,” Aaron quick lead. home when Alan Busenitz
Judge said. “Just keep bat- But Santana went to full walked Aaron Hicks with
tling. Just stay calm. Just counts on eight of 11 bat- the bases loaded.
play your game, and good ters, and he was removed Judge shouted in excite-
things will happen.” after six outs and 64 pitches ment as he rounded first
Judge, Didi Gregorius and with the Twins trailing 4-3. base after the homer, his
a brilliant bullpen rescued “It’s the exhilaration of face flush with emotion.
New York and lifted the jumping out,” Molitor said, “This place was rocking. It
Yankees to their first post- “and then the deflation of was incredible,” he said.
season victory in five years. giving it back so quickly.” New York had made only
Gregorius’ three-run homer Minnesota, the first team one postseason appear-
tied the score in the first to follow a 100-loss season ance since 2012, losing New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner (11) celebrates with Aaron
inning after Minnesota with a playoff appear- the 2015 wild-card game Judge after hitting a home run during the second inning of the
knocked out Luis Severi- ance, lost its 13th consec- to Houston 3-0. Just three American League wild-card baseball game against the Minne-
no, a pumped-up Judge utive postseason game, Yankees who started that sota Twins on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in New York.
showed his most emotion tying the record set by Bos- game were in the start- Associated Press
this season when he hit a ton from 1986-95. The Twins ing lineup, part of a Baby then fanned three in a row , Chapman struck out three
two-run shot in his playoff have been eliminated by Bombers movement that in the second. around a hit in the ninth.
debut and the Yankees the Yankees in five of their purged the roster of veter- “I think we’re all ready to A pitcher named Santana
beat the Twins 8-4 Tuesday last six postseason appear- ans. be in from the first to the — Johan Santana — beat
night. New York plays the ances and have not won a At 23, Severino was the ninth,” Green said. the Yankees for the Twins’
Indians in a best-of-five Di- playoff series since 2002. youngest Yankees postsea- Robertson came in with the last postseason win in 2004.
vision Series starting Thurs- “Nobody expected us to son starter since Andy Pet- bases loaded in the third But Ervin Santana’s career
day. be here,” Byron Buxton titte in 1995. The right-hand- and allowed Buxton’s RBI postseason ERA climbed to
“We’re not done yet,” said. “That’s an amazing er lasted only 29 pitches on grounder , then struck out 6.57, contributing to a first
Judge said. “We’ve just got achievement.” a crisp autumn night and Castro. inning that lasted 45 min-
to keep it rolling in Cleve- New York won nine regular- matched the Yankees’ Robertson tired in the sixth utes and three innings that
land.” season games after trailing shortest postseason start, but earned the win, leav- took 1:43.
Brett Gardner also hom- by three runs, according to by Bob Turley in Game 2 of ing after 52 pitches and 3 Gardner walked leading
ered for the Yankees, who the Elias Sports Bureau — in- the 1958 World Series and 1/3 innings. His only longer off, Judge poked a single to
chased Ervin Santana af- cluding when Severino fell Art Ditmar in the 1960 World professional outing was 3 center and Gregorius lined
ter two innings and once behind against the Twins Series opener. 2/3 innings for Double-A a fastball over the right-
again eliminated Minneso- on Sept. 20 as New York Severino was shaking his Trenton in April 2008. field scoreboard. Brushed
ta from the playoffs. rebounded to complete head as walked to the dug- Kahnle relieved with a run- off the plate by a 2-2 pitch
Chad Green, David Robert- a series sweep. Gregorius out and Green replaced ner on and retired Joe in the second, Gardner
son, Tommy Kahnle and Ar- erased the deficit in this him with runners at second Mauer on a flyout to the sent Santana’s next offer-
oldis Chapman combined one four batters into the and third. Green struck out warning track . After Kahnle ing into the second deck in
for 8 2/3 innings of one-run, bottom of the first. Buxton and Jason Castro , threw 2 1/3 perfect innings right for a 4-3 lead.q