For the fourth time in the last eight years, the New York Yankees eliminated the Minnesota Twins from the playoffs in the American League Divisional Series. And with Saturday evening’s completion of a series sweep for the second consecutive year, the Yankees have bested Minnesota in 12 of 14 games in the postseason since 2003.
But when the series began last week, the Twins had every reason to believe this would be the year they would dispel the notion New York had their number. Minnesota finished the regular season with an American League-best 53-28 record at Target Field, where the series commenced, while the Yankees won only 9 of their last 26 games to conclude the season amidst a myriad of concerns about the strength of their starting rotation.
In Game 1, Twins left-handed ace Francisco Liriano held New York scoreless for five innings as his offense staked him to a 3-0 lead entering the top of the sixth. However, given their playoff history, the ugly truth for Minnesota was that no lead is safe against the Yankees.
So when Mark Teixeira doubled down the left-field line, Alex Rodriguez drew a walk, and Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada followed with RBI singles to make it a 3-2 ball game, it was simply a matter of time before New York captured the lead to set the stage for another record-breaking save from Mariano Rivera.
Only one batter later, Curtis Granderson, who had been 4-22 against Liriano, tripled off the scoreboard in right-center field to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead to steal the hearts of the Twins for the umpteenth time.
Even a bases loaded walk surrendered by Yankees 21-game winner CC Sabathia, who clearly didn’t have his best stuff, in the bottom of the inning to tie the game couldn’t repair a Minnesota psyche that was completely crushed by Mark Teixeira’s two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.
The icing on the cake was the Twins’ failure to capitalize on a blown call in the bottom of the ninth that gave them an extra out against the best closer in the history of Major League Baseball. In what should have been the last out of the game, replays clearly showed that Yankees right outfielder Greg Golson, a defensive substitute, caught Delmon Young’s sinking line drive.
However, Golson’s catch was ruled a trap after the umpires huddled for a discussion, which subsequently brought Jim Thome to the plate as the potential tying run. But Thome, a member of the 500-home run club, was retired on a popup to third baseman Alex Rodriguez to end the contest. Game over, series over.
Minnesota would proceed to bow out of the playoffs with a whimper, losing the final two games by a combined score of 11-3. But, make no mistake about it, Game 1 of the series set the stage for what immediately followed.
So a series that had the potential to be as competitive and compelling as any of the remaining three turned into what has essentially become the Yankees’ biennial first-round bye.
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NY Yankees Had the Minnesota Twins at "Hello"
