New York Yankees: Top 15 Moments of the 2017 Season
By Sean Dyer
2. Didi Gregorius Ties Up AL Wild Card Game With Three-Run Shot
The New York Yankees were unable to catch the Boston Red Sox in the AL East so they had to play the Minnesota Twins in the one-game, winner-takes-all AL Wild Card Game.
The Twins tagged Yankees ace Luis Severino for three runs in the top of the first before driving Sevy out of the game after he got just one out. Things weren’t looking great for the Yanks.
In the bottom of the first, however, Brett Gardner walked, Aaron Judge singled, and Gary Sanchez fouled out, leaving runners on first and third with just one out. Then Didi Gregorius stepped up to the plate.
Didi worked a full count and ripped a fastball into the seats in right and Yankee Stadium went bananas. The game was tied 3-3 and the Yankees had new life.
Home runs by Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge and a dominant performance from New York’s bullpen would help lead the Bronx Bombers to an 8-4 victory and a trip to the ALDS.
As the name would suggest, this AL Wild Card Game was crazy. It was an emotional rollercoaster with constant stress. Judge’s home run in the fourth inning gave the Yankees a three-run lead and calmed things down a little bit, but the nerves never fully settled until the final out was recorded.
It was a game that Yankees fans will not soon forget. I know I’ll always remember running around the house screaming after Didi left the yard and tied things up. As someone who was just an infant during the epic playoff home runs of the 90s, Gregorius’ three-run shot is one of the greatest homers I’ve ever seen.