Monday, October 9, 2017

Be There. Aloha.

Admit it: You thought the Yankees were done after those 2 losses in Cleveland. I thought it. I admit it.

Last night was one of those games where the manager/head coach could have looked at his team and said, "I know it looks bad. Well, I want to see who wants to be here next season."

Perhaps the tide had turned for Joe Girardi after his failure to challenge that call in Game 2 in Cleveland. Because when he was introduced before Game 3 of the American League Division Series last night, the entire Stadium seemed to be booing him. It was well-deserved, and he admitted as such in his press conference on the day in between. The people who say, "Girardi has overachieved with these Yankees" were rightly self-muting.

But something happened after that: The Yankees decided, If we're gonna go down, let's go down with all guns blazing, and with all flags flying.

Masahiro Tanaka pitched 7 shutout innings. He gave up no home runs. He pitched better than he had in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, and he was pumped when he finished the 7th inning with a strikeout. And he got help from a fantastic catch by Aaron Judge, who is known for his slugging, not his defense.

But it was 0-0. The Yankees were hitting no better for him than they had on that dark night 2 years ago. They had only 2 hits.

And then Greg Bird cranked one down the right field line, and the new Yankee Stadium shook like it hasn't since, oh, November 4, 2009.

Girardi sent David Robertson in to pitch the 8th. I couldn't fault him for the decision: 'Hiro had done all that we could have asked him to do, And D-Rob had been solid since his return. But he didn't have much, and only got 1 out.

Girardi asked Aroldis Chapman to get a 5-out save, and, again, a lot of us thought it was over. It wasn't: He got out of the 8th, and, while he allowed a hit in the 9th, he got out of that, too.

Yankees 1, Indians 0. Since Wild Card Games are not officially counted as "Playoffs" by MLB, this was the 1st postseason game won by the Yankees since October 12, 2012 -- 4 days short of 5 years.

Game 4 is tonight -- weather permitting. Luis Severino pitches against Trevor Bauer.

We will not get full revenge over the Boston Red Sox this season. This afternoon, the Houston Astros eliminated them, 3 games to 1. If we come from behind to win this series 3-2, it will be the Astros we play in the AL Championship Series.

Whatever happens the rest of the way, whether it's 1 game or 3 weeks, this team has shown character. They've shown guts. As they say in English soccer, This club's got bottle.

They want to be here next season.

To Hell with "rebuilding": We can still do this. It is not merely possible: Last night's win made it believable.

Tonight, or the next night if it's rained out, and if there's any games after it, as Jack Lord used to say, "Be there. Aloha."

Because these Yankees will be there.

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