Series tied 2-2
In the course of two games the Yankees have gone from dead team walking to just 27 outs from a date with the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. That is how rapidly things can change in a five game playoff series. The Yankees brought the thunder to their game against the Indians on Monday, coming away with a 7-3 win before a rocking Yankee Stadium.
The Stadium was on fire from first pitch, with the echo of deep chants, cheers and euphoria spread throughout the building, making it seem more like a European soccer event, or even the late 90's when the Yankees were kings of the baseball world.There is something about this Yankee team that is endearing. They never give up. Last week they were down 3-0 in their wild card game to the Minnesota Twins and pulled it out. In this division series they were down two-games-to-none, with the manager's head on the proverbial chopping block. Now, if they win on Wednesday, Game 2 in Cleveland would be reduced to a mute point.
The Yankees are facing a winner-take-all Game 5 because Joe Girardi trusts his guys, and they rewarded him for his confidence. It's been that way all season.
Right from the get-go, the Bronx Bombers jumped out on Indians starter Trevor Bauer, who was pitching on three days' rest, leaving little doubt that this series was far from over. Todd Fraizer, the New Jersey kid who the Yankees acquired from the White Sox over the summer got the party started when he lined a double down the left field line to score Starlin Castro with the games first run. Frazier's hit proved to be contagious. Aaron Hicks followed with a RBI single of his own to make it 2-0. Brett Gardner singled to center, and Aaron Judge brought the house down with a two-run double to left. 4-0 Yankees in the second inning.
The lead proved to be more than enough for starter Luis Severino who was masterful in his second postseason start. Like the Yankees, Monday was a rebound performance for the Yankees ace. Last week he only lasted a third of an inning against the Twins. On Monday, with the exception of surrendering a pair of home runs to Carlos Santana and Roberto Perez, Severino dominated.
He gave the Yankees seven strong innings, allowing only three runs on four hits while striking out nine batters. The Indians had no answer for Severino's fastball, which he blew by hitters like it was going out of style. As the night wore on, and with each strikeout notched to his belt the chants of "Severino" bellowed through the confines of Yankee Stadium.
Soon those cheers turned to chants of "Tommy, Tommy" as reliever Tommy Kahnle shut the door on the Indians with two brilliant innings in relief. Kahnle, was the forgotten piece in the Yankees trade with Chicago. While Fraizer and David Robertson were the headlines of that deal, the Yankees got Kahnle as well. He rewarded the Yankees confidence in him with his best outing of the season.
He came into the game after Dellon Betances walked Yan Gomes and Francisco Lindor. With the Yankees leading only 7-3, this was a huge moment for the New York native, and he didn't disappoint. He struck out Jason Kipnis on a changeup high and out side. He then jammed Jose Ramirez into a fly out to right, and finally struck out Jay Bruce swinging to end the inning.
Kahnle was so good that Giradi left him out there for the ninth. The righty proceeded to overwhelm Santana, Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall, striking all three hitters out to end the ball game.
The boos that the Yankees heard from their fans before Game 3 were now turned to delirious cheers. Suddenly fans are thinking big again. The Yankees now head to Cleveland for a Game 5 that many thought wasn't going to happen. Even if they lose to Corey Kluber on Wednesday, just the fact that the Yankees never gave up on themselves and their manager is a victory in itself.
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