Brian Dozier led off the game for the Twins with a homerun.
The second baseman had hit 34 homeruns this year, but 21 of them came in the second half of the season.
With one out, Severino walked Jorge Polanco, then gave up a 2-run homerun to Eddie Rosario.
Eduardo Escobar then singled and German Max Kepler followed with a double, which led to a very early pitching change.
Chad Green took over from Severino and struckout the next two batters, but the Yankees trailed 3-0.
In the bottom of the first inning, it were the Yankees that scored three runs off of Santana.
Brett Gardner led off with a walk and moved to third base on a following single by Aaron Judge.
With one out, Didi Gregorius drove a line drive into rightfield for a 3-run homerun!
Gregorius again was hitting in the cleanup-spot (number four), as he had done 42 times season, the most ever by a Yankee short stop.
In the top of the second inning, Chad Green retired the side, including two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the second inning, with one out, Todd Frazier lined the ball into centerfield where Byron Buxton caught the ball while running into the wall.
Hereafter, with two outs, Brett Gardner drove the ball into rightfield for a homerun to put the Yankees ahead, 4-3!
The Twins came alongside in the top of the third inning after Chad Green got the bases loaded.
He gave up a lead-off single to Jorge Polanco, then walked Eddie Rosario and, with one out, he also walked Max Kepler.
Another pitching change followed, as David Robertson took over.
He got a hard grounder with a late hop from Byron Buxton to Didi Gregorius, which led to a force out at second base.
An attempt to complete a double play failed, as Buxton was too fast and in the meantime, Polanco scored the tying run.
A strikeout ended the inning, but the score was now 4-4.
...Didi Gregorius hit a 3-run homerun for the Yankees...
...On the photo, he just homered for the Netherlands Kingdom..
...Team during the World Baseball Classic earlier this year...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the bottom of the third inning, Minnesota also went to the bullpen, as José Berrios took over from Santana.
The righthanded rookie was greeted with a lead-off double from Gary Sánchez.
With two outs, Sánchez put New York back on top when he score on a single by Greg Bird.
After the Yankees turned a double play in the top of the fourth inning, they added two more runs in the home half.
With one out, Brett Gardner singled, then Aaron Judge homered to make it a 7-4 score.
Reliever David Robertson continued throwing well for New York, despite throwing the most pitches in an outing in his career.
In the top of the sixth, he gave up a lead-off single to Zack Granite, who had replaced Byron Buxton in the bottom of the fourth.
Buxton injured his back while running into the wall in the second inning.
Robertson struckout the next two batters, then threw a wild pitch and walked Brian Dozier.
That marked the end for Robertson, who was replaced by Tommy Kahnle.
The inning then ended when Joe Mauer lined out to leftfielder Brett Gardner on the warning track.
Tommy Kahnle retired the Twins-side in the top of the seventh, then New York got the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with no outs.
Twins-reliever Trevor Hildenberger, who had taken over in the previous at bat, walked lead-off hitter Aaron Judge.
Hereafter, Gary Sánchez singled, which brought Judge to third base, while advancing himself to second base on a throwing error.
With first base open, Didi Gregorius got an intentional walk, which this season is done via a signal from the dug-out from the Manager who puts up four fingers.
This rule was introduced this season, but already is in effect for several years in softball.
With the bases loaded, Starlin Castro flied out.
Hereafter, Taylor Rogers took over the pitching and struckout Greg Bird.
Another pitching change followed, as Alan Busenitz took the mound, but he walked Aaron Hicks, which led to an automatic run and made it an 8-4 score.
A flyout then ended the inning.
Kahnle again retired the side in the top of the eighth inning, then closer Aroldis Chapman took over in the ninth.
The hardthrowing lefthanded Cuban struckout the first two batters he faced, but then gave up a single to veteran Joe Mauer.
But hereafter, Chapman closed the game with another strikeout.
(October 3)
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Didi Gregorius helps Yankees win American League Wild Card Game against Twins
THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY, New York (USA) -
The New York Yankees won the American League Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday-evening (October 3) with an 8-4 score.
New York trailed 3-0 after the top of the first inning, but immediately came alongside in its first at bat thanks to a 3-run homerun by Didi Gregorius.
Before the game, there was an emotional moment in the stadium where the flags flew half-mast, as there was a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the tragedy in Las Vegas.
The ceremonial first pitch was then thrown by Yankees-pitcher Chasen Shreve, who is from Las Vegas.