11. Brett Gardner Hits Go-Ahead Three-Run Homer Against Cubs
In a game where the Yankees offense just couldn’t break through, Brett Gardner played the role of hero.
Down 2-0 with two outs in the top of the ninth, Gardner took Hector Rondon deep for a go-ahead three-run home run. Aroldis Chapman would shut it down in the bottom of the inning and New York would get a 3-2 win.
That victory was the first of a three-game sweep of the defending champion Chicago Cubs. This sweep put the New York Yankees on the map and put the MLB on notice.
The Yankees had a good first month of the season but after going into Chicago and dismantling a team that many thought would repeat as World Series champs, they let everyone know this team was for real.
Brett Gardner’s home run and the ensuing three-game sweep gave the team confidence that they could beat anyone. The New York Yankees showed that confidence when down 3-0 in the first inning of the Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins, down 2-0 in the ALDS to the Cleveland Indians, and even when they were down 2-0 in the ALCS to the Houston Astros.
Gardy’s homer was great in the moment but had an even bigger effect later in the season.