Holy Cow, We Held the Door!

I was more tense for this win-or-go-home game than I would have been if it had been Game 7 of the World Series. At least that would have meant winning a Pennant. At this point, I could live with winning the Pennant but losing the World Series.

And when Luis Severino, our putative ace, allowed the Minnesota Twins 2 home runs in the top of the 1st inning, to leadoff hitter Brian Dozier and to Eddie Rosario, I thought, "Well, at least I won't be tense all night long. They spared us that."

But a funny thing happened on the way to my "But because Joe Girardi is an idiot... " post: The Yankees came back to tie it in the bottom of the 1st, 3-3, including a home run by Didi Gregorius. Brett Gardner hit a home run in the 2nd, to give the Yankees the lead, 4-3.

Chad Green bailed us out in the 1st inning, and held the Twins off in the 2nd and the 3rd, before getting tired in the 4th, and allowing the tying run. David Robertson came in, and got out of the jam.

Gary Sanchez led off the bottom of the 3rd with a double. Then, 2 strikeouts, and I thought this would come back to haunt us. But Greg Bird singled El Gary home. 5-4 Yankees.

There was a long way to go. The Yankees needed 18 more outs, and to hold the lead.

I was reminded of how the Game of Thrones character Hodor (played by Kristian Nairn) was left unable to say anything but, "Hodor." It was because of a mental time-travel forced on him at the moment of his death, that turned "Hold the door" into "Hodor."

And I thought of our old friend Phil Rizzuto:

HOLD THE LEAD NOW!
HOLD DA LEAD NOW
HOLD LEAD NOW
HOL LEA NOW
HOLEA NOW
HOLY COW

HOLY COW!

Robertson held the lead through the 4th, and the 5th, and the 6th. Tommy Kahnle came in, and held the lead through the 7th, and the 8th.

In the bottom of the 4th, Here came da Judge. Aaron Judge hit a home run with Gardner aboard, to make it 7-4. Okay, he's not quite as big as Hodor, but you know what they say: Some heroes wear capes, some hold the door, some swing a bat.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Yankees loaded the bases. Just when it looked like the Yankees might not get any of those runs, and that it might come back to haunt them, Aaron Hicks drew a walk to force 1 home. 8-4 Yankees.

I said before this game that it didn't matter if the Yankees had a 10-run lead with 1 out to go: Knowing Girardi, I wouldn't trust his pitching decisions until the 27th out was in the books.

Aroldis Chapman came on. He was rested. He was ready. He struck Robbie Grossman out. He struck Dozier out. That was the Chapman we needed at the end of last season. That's the Chapman the Chicago Cubs got at the end of last season. That's the Chapman we've had for most of this season.

One out to go, and up by 4. I still wasn't fully confident.

The next man up was Joe Mauer, one of the best hitters of this generation. He was with the Twins when they lost American League Division Series to the Yankees in 2004, 2009 and 2010. (He wasn't there yet for the 2003 ALDS, as 2004 was his rookie year.) The local boy made good, from St. Paul, is 34, and he has never played in a World Series game, or even an AL Championship Series game.

Mauer got a hit. Now, the tying run was on deck. The batter was Jorge Polanco. And we all began feeling a little queasy. This was the Chapman we'd gotten a few too many times this season.

We needed Chapman get this last out, any way he could. It didn't have to be a strikeout. It just had to be an out.

He blew a 103.7-mile-per-hour fastball past Polanco.

Cue John Sterling: "Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees win!"

Yankees 8, Twins 4. WP: Robertson. No save. LP: Jose Berrios.

This was the Yankees' 1st postseason game won, and their 1st postseason round won, since October 12, 2012. It's been just under 5 years, but, in so many ways, the world has changed.

Nevertheless, the Yankees move on. For the 1st time in 5 years, they are 1 of the last 8 teams standing.

That, of course, is not enough. Far from it. But now, they have a chance to get "enough."

I know some groups of soccer team supporters like to adapt Depeche Mode's song "Just Can't Get Enough" to their team. Me? I can get enough. I have -- 7 times. Not counting the 20 World Series the Yankees won before I was born. Also not counting the Devils' 3 Stanley Cup wins.

So, Joe Girardi is now 2-4 all-time in win-or-go-home games.

He gets to keep his job.

Well, he was going to keep it no matter what. Which is part of the problem.

Anyway, the Yankees move on, and will face the Cleveland Indians. Game 1 will be in Cleveland at 7:30 on Thursday night. Game 2 will be in Cleveland at 5:00 on Friday afternoon. Game 3 will be in New York on Sunday. If necessary, Game 4 will be in New York on Monday. If necessary, Game 5 will be in Cleveland next Wednesday. Times for Games 3, 4 and 5 are yet to be determined.

92 wins down. 11 to go. Title 28 is still possible.