New York Takes Game 1 Of The ALDS As They Take Down Minnesota
The postseason for the team that wears the pinstripes began with a win over Minnesota in the Bronx.
The Yankees’ formula for a deep October run centers upon their big-swinging lineup and an equally strong bullpen, one that they believe will ultimately give them the edge in this power-versus-power American League Division Series showdown with the Twins. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
It can’t hurt that they have history on their side: the names have changed, but the outcome remained the same on Friday. DJ LeMahieu homered and drove in four runs, Brett Gardner also went deep and the Yankees’ prized relief corps combined for 4 1/3 strong innings, fueling a 10-4 victory over Minnesota in Game 1 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
The Yankees improved to 101-37 against the Twins since 2002, including 14-2 in the postseason, where they have won 11 straight over Minnesota -- the franchise’s longest postseason winning streak against any opponent. Though they aren’t hyping themselves with highlight reels of the Derek Jeter era, Aaron Judge said that they can borrow something from the more recent chapters.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“A lot of guys here were on the 2017 team when we were down 3-0 to Minnesota [in the first inning of the AL Wild Card Game],” Judge said. “Past experience like that, you can feed off of. Once we got that first run, you just focus on your at-bats and do your job. We'll be where we want to be.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
After Gleyber Torres played a supporting role by rapping a third-inning grounder that first baseman C.J. Cron flubbed for a two-run error, the standout 22-year-old delivered in what manager Aaron Boone called “a big-time at-bat” in the fifth, connecting for a go-ahead two-run double off reliever Tyler “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“We know what we’ve got in our lineup,” Torres said. “We just be patient, waiting for the opportunity. We take advantage of mistakes and with all of the really good at-bats everyone takes, we’ll win the night.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
Duffey said that the sellout crowd of 49,233 played a part in the Yanks’ rally, comparing the rising decibel level to the roar of a jet engine. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“These fans love to get loud over nothing,” Duffey said. “If you give them a reason, they’re really going to get loud. You get behind, 3-2, they’re going to let you have it. I got booed for stepping off. It’s what postseason baseball is about.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
James Paxton worked 4 2/3 innings in his postseason debut, striking out eight while withstanding Jorge Polanco's first-inning solo homer and a third-inning solo shot off Nelson Cruz's bat. Those deep drives were no surprise, given the shared strength of these heavyweight opponents, the only clubs in Major League history to slug 300 or more homers in a season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
With the bullpen warming and Paxton clinging to a one-run lead in the fifth inning, the lefty engaged Polanco in a nine-pitch battle, tossing seven curveballs. The last curveball was stroked into left-center field for a game-tying RBI single, ending an 86-pitch effort in which Paxton scattered five hits with a walk. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“Of course I want to go deeper in the game,” Paxton said. “I'd like to have better success out there and go deep in the game and be able to help save the bullpen guys. I know it's a little different in the postseason. It's a team effort.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
After Torres’ go-ahead hit in the fifth, Miguel Sanó responded in the sixth with a solo homer off Tommy Kahnle, but LeMahieu answered in the home half by belting the Yanks’ first homer of the postseason, a solo blast that landed in the visiting bullpen. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
Judge scored two runs, walking twice with a single, but the slugger’s biggest contributions were made with his glove. Judge made a pair of diving catches in right field, stealing a third-inning hit from Polanco and then robbing Eddie Rosario with an even finer grab in the seventh. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“I try to do that all year, play both sides,” Judge said. “It's huge. Our pitchers are out there battling, and we've got to go out and make a play. Any time it's hit, this is the postseason -- you've got to make those plays.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
While the Twins can match the Yanks’ muscle, the later innings of Game 1 offered a reminder that New York is set up to win any battle of the bullpens. Boone aggressively doled his high-leverage workload to Adam Ottavino, Kahnle, Chad Green and Zack Britton, and Yanks relievers combined to allow a run on two hits.”according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“They've got big guys that can do some damage anywhere,” Britton said. “You've got to make good pitches all the way through this lineup. If you don't, they'll get you.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
Gardner tacked on in the sixth with a solo blast off Cody Stashak that landed in the second deck of the right-field seats, and LeMahieu busted the game open with a three-run double off Kyle Gibson in the seventh, dooming Minnesota to a 14th consecutive postseason loss, dating to 2004. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
“It's nice to get this first one under our belt,” Gardner said. “We'll take things one day at a time. Tomorrow is another must-win game for us.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-win-alds-game-1-vs-twins
Meanwhile Minnesota was on the other end of the spectrum to open the American League Division Series.
-- The Twins brought their record-breaking home run power to the postseason, as advertised, with three bombas at Yankee Stadium. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
But the turnover and relative lack of experience in the bullpen was also a story of this season in Minnesota, and that came into play when three inexperienced relievers had wild postseason debuts that gave the Yankees’ deep, powerful offense simply too many opportunities in a 10-4 loss in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Friday night. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
The Twins dropped their 14th consecutive playoff contest to establish the longest such streak in postseason history. They have now lost 11 straight games to the Yankees in October, dating back to 2004. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
Minnesota’s bullpen had been among the best in baseball in the second half, with young relievers contributing heavily to a combined 4.8 WAR after the All-Star break, per FanGraphs, which represented the best mark in baseball by a wide margin. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
But three of those relievers -- rookies Zack Littell and Cody Stashak and converted starter Kyle Gibson -- received a trial by fire in their first taste of the postseason, combining to allow seven runs as the Yankees blew the game open in the middle innings. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
“These are guys we have leaned on heavily throughout the year,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We're going to continue to lean on them heavily. We're going to see them back out there and throwing in important situations. ... But our guys are resilient. Our guys have had outings here and there over the course of the year that didn't go as planned, and they come right back, and they're ready to go.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
One positive from Friday night’s bullpen usage is that most of the Twins’ late-inning core of relievers -- Tyler Duffey (who worked one inning in Game 1), Trevor May, Sergio Romo and Taylor Rogers -- should be fresh and available for Game 2 on Saturday, when Minnesota will find itself needing to more aggressively defend close leads -- or deficits -- to avoid returning home for Game 3 in a deep deficit.”according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
In formulating their pitching plan throughout the regular season, Baldelli and pitching coach Wes Johnson established a clear demarcation with their usage of Rogers and Romo in particular. Of Rogers’ 60 appearances this season, 50 have come with the Twins on top. Romo has been used with a lead in 22 of his 27 outings in Minnesota.
Could that change for Game 2, with many of the Twins’ lower-leverage arms having been used unsuccessfully in a close game on Friday? “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
“It could,” Baldelli said. “We don't generally commit to anything early, but I think there's a chance that we end up running some of our guys that have pitched very late in the game. We could run them out there, probably still reasonably late in the game, but maybe push them up a little bit.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
Several factors played into Baldelli and the Twins dipping deeper into their bullpen depth on Friday. The Yankees laid off tough pitches and made Twins starter José Berríos labor for his outs, with the 25-year-old ace needing 88 pitches to navigate four innings.”according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
A missed catch by first baseman C.J. Cron on a potential inning-ending double play in the third inning not only led to the tying and go-ahead runs scoring to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead, but it also extended Berríos’ inning by a batter. Earlier in the frame, second baseman Luis Arraez couldn’t corral a popup in shallow right field to key New York’s rally.”according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
“I thought our guys did a good job of controlling the zone tonight, seeing a lot of pitches, not trying to do too much,” Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner said. “Up and down the lineup, we did a real good job of getting Berríos out of there and getting into their bullpen.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
All that resulted in Baldelli needing to go to his bullpen early, and he said after the game that the Twins felt both Littell and Stashak would need to pitch in important situations in the game as a result. They opted to turn to Littell first. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
Littell, who only had four walks in the second half, emerged from Minnesota’s bullpen in a tie game in the fifth inning, and he issued a walk and hit a batter before Gleyber Torres cashed in both runners with a two-run double. Stashak entered an inning later with the Twins trailing by one and allowed homers to DJ LeMahieu and Gardner. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
“I didn’t trust my stuff,” Littell said. “I was trying to be perfect. It’s a good lineup, and they took good pitches. It made me think I had to make perfect pitches.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
Gibson entered for the seventh inning having averaged 3.2 walks per nine innings this season. He walked the bases loaded, and the Yankees, again, took advantage when LeMahieu drove a bases-clearing double to the left-field corner to open up the lead.”according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
In the history of best-of-five postseason series, the team that has lost Game 1 has rallied to win the series 37 of 132 times (28 percent). “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
The Twins’ bullpen depth couldn’t come through in their first pressure test. But if the Twins are to make a deep run in the postseason, they won’t just be able to ride Duffey, Romo, Rogers and May through October. That could again prove necessary in Game 2, when rookie Randy Dobnak will make his first career postseason start -- and just his sixth start in the Majors. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
Baldelli could lean on his higher-leverage arms more aggressively on Saturday, but the Twins will also hope that their less experienced arms can bounce back, as they have all season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
“You can hear how to prepare and how to get ready,” Duffey said. “But it’s weird. Until you get out there in it, you don’t know how you’re going to react. There are a lot of guys in this clubhouse, it’s their first time in this. I mean, they’re loud, they’re loud for no reason a lot of times. It’s fun to pitch in this, but it’s hard to be ready for it.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-drop-alds-game-1-to-yankees
New York and Minnesota will continue their series with game two Saturday night in the Bronx with Masahiro Tanaka who has pitched in the Big Leagues for five years starting for New York while rookie Randy Dobnak starting for Minnesota.