The Yankees won a rollercoaster of a game last night against the Twins in order to advance from the American League Wild Card Game. They move on to face the Indians on Thursday, but before we look at what lies ahead, let’s take a moment to appreciate the wild night we all survived. Here are the best moment from last night’s game. It probably shouldn’t be too hard to remember.
Chad Green strikes out two in the first
The first inning was the worst. Luis Severino had buried the Yankees in a three-run hole with only one out recorded. It felt like the season was already over. Yankee Stadium went silent. Pinstripe Alley went into panic mode. Then Chad Green came in and convinced everyone that they had the Twins right where they wanted them.
Back-to-back strikeouts for Chad Green!
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 4, 2017
Our turn. Gardy, Judge, Gary due up. pic.twitter.com/Y1AEk7TPi2
Green struck out Byron Buxton and Jason Castro, ended the threat, and showed us all that maybe the sky hadn’t fallen just yet. The beginning of this game was our collective worst nightmare, but he tucked us in, gave us a goodnight kiss, and made us no longer afraid of the dark. Chad Green was our teddy bear, because it was all going to be ok.
Didi Gregorius ties the game
Luckily for the Yankees, they were facing Ervin Santana, so this game turned sideways in a hurry. No longer worried about the impending heat death of the universe, the Yankees launched their counterattack almost immediately. Brett Gardner walked, Aaron Judge singled. The team just needed to chip away as best they could, but Didi Gregorius felled the tree with one swing.
Didi’s home run may have been the most important dinger of the year for the Yankees. Maybe the most important home run in all of MLB, because I don’t know, I haven’t watched every home run this year—have you? Exactly.
The Dutch Son of New York, a nickname I just made up, even added a little flair for the sake of dramatics. A low-key bat flip told us all that it was time to party because baseball is honestly a game for madmen.
It’s also important to note: Luis, if you’re reading this—hi—you can come out of hiding now. All is forgiven, and you can show your face in public. Just don’t ever do this again.
Brett Gardner’s go-ahead shot
After one messed up inning, it was a whole new ballgame, as they say. Then, it was the same old ballgame when Brett Gardner hit his go-ahead home run in the second inning. It’s hilarious to watch the replay and hear Jessica Mendoza talk about Santana trying to establish the inside pitch. He definitely established it in a new zip code—heyo!
It might be the most Yankees thing ever to see them get hit with an early deficit, and just when the Twins think they finally cracked the code, this team turns into Neo from the first Matrix movie:
Everything David Robertson did last night
This is less of a single moment and more of an appreciation of every moment that David Robertson gave us last night. I never got a chance to say this, but welcome back. You should have never left, and it’s almost like you never did. After 3.1 innings pitched, you can practically say he started this game.
David Robertson: 3.1 EL , 3 H, 0 CL , 1 BB, 5 K ⚾️ #PoderYankee #YankeesBéisbol https://t.co/cMzGyJHRF8 pic.twitter.com/P6diPFXEya
— Yankees Beisbol (@Yankees_Beisbol) October 4, 2017
As the great Mark Teixeira said on the broadcast after the game, "think about this from the Twins’ standpoint -- Congratulations! You knocked out the starter in the first inning. Now you get to face five closers." David Robertson was actually three of those five closers all on his own.
Aaron Judge big baseball home run
Our big baseball boy graduated to playoff booster boy with this shot to right field in the fourth inning. Fangraphs would like you to think it’s important that Aaron Judge is not clutch in the situations that have been determined to be clutcher, but a big boy dinger is just as important in the fourth as it is in the ninth. It’s also better for your health, so eat it.
Judge ran around the bases like a kid who got his first base hit in Little League in front of his parents—both parents, because dad finally got off work. It’s the magic of playoff baseball that turns a 25-year-old man into a six-foot-seven baby boy.
One other thing that needs to be discussed is that this video actually contains evidence of the murder of left fielder Eddie Rosario. This home run messed him up so badly that it sent him flying to the dirt. As I said on Twitter, this is the baseball equivalent to breaking your ankles on the basketball court. Good night sweet prince.
eddie rosario was murdered by aaron judge pic.twitter.com/fP8QTDhPyg
— Jason Cohen (@Jason00Cohen) October 4, 2017
Gary Sanchez loses everything
The Yankees won the game, but it was not without consequence. While they were on the way to defeating the Twins, Gary Sanchez paid the ultimate sacrifice to the baseball gods when David Robertson completely obliterated Lil’ Gary.
Gary Sanchez gets hit in worst spot ever. David Robertson reacts appropriately. pic.twitter.com/q2B4uic4gd
— Thomas Lott (@tlott33) October 4, 2017
Gary Sanchez was thankfully wearing a cup when he took a baseball off the baseballs, but in my opinion he should have been wearing a second cup on top of that first one just in case. No matter how many iconic shots we got from last night’s game, David Robertson’s reaction will be burned into our minds for the rest of time.
In 30 years, we will collectively gather around the fires from the remains of the old world, and we will tell our children’s children about the night David Robertson hit Gary Sanchez in the dick. We will read from Grant Brisbee’s eulogy and remember a happier time, before the clocks stopped.
Zack Granite misses the bag
Did you know that Zack Granite is from Staten Island and grew up a Yankees fan? ESPN knew. Sorry kid, but you were on the wrong team at the wrong time. You also might have committed one of the most costly brain farts in postseason history, at least since Kolten Wong was picked off first base to end a World Series game. This dude missed the bag running to first base, and was tagged out by a quick-thinking Starlin Castro as the only positive thing he did all night.
Right over the bag. pic.twitter.com/PY7OH5NznL
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 4, 2017
Baseball life marches on, so let’s hope we can sit back and enjoy the next week like we enjoyed last night.