MINNEAPOLIS — Since Aaron Boone let the world know his hitters are savages in the box, in much more colorful language than that, the Yankees have averaged 7.5 runs per game.
They were their most savage Tuesday night at Target Field when they pounded out 20 hits, crushed two home runs, Didi Gregorius knocked in seven runs, Aaron Hicks hit a two-run homer in the ninth and then won it in the 10th with a Superman-like diving catch of a Max Kepler drive to left-center with the bases loaded for the final out of the game to give the Yankees a phenomenal 14-12 victory over the Twins.
The Yankees and Twins traded roundhouse rights all night. If these two teams meet in the playoffs, look out. In a year of amazing offense the Yankees bounced back from deficits of 8-2, 9-5 and 11-10.
It took an RBI single by Gleyber Torres in the 10th inning and a run-scoring wild pitch from Kohl Stewart, the Twins’ seventh pitcher of the night, to win this marathon that lasted 5 hours and 3 minutes.
If the Yankees reach the World Series, it is this offense that must carry them. This quote from author Jake Remington made me think of how the Yankees offense is rolling.
Fate whispers to the warrior: “You cannot withstand the storm.’’
The warrior whispers back: “I am the storm.’’
The Yankees hitters are the storm.
“There’s no break in the storm,’’ Judge told The Post.
No there isn’t. The storm raged Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
“You may think you get a little break,’’ Judge said, “but there is always more storms tomorrow.’’
Hicks was the leadoff hitter because DJ LeMahieu did not start. No. 9 hitter Mike Tauchman got a two-out walk before Hicks’ home run.
The Yankees have a mix of power, more power and some table-setters with power mixed into the lineup. Gregorius piled up five hits including a two-run double in the first and a three-run home run in the fifth.
The Yankees are going to have to hit the way their starters are pitching. Domingo German surrendered eight runs over 3 ²/₃ innings and the back end of the bullpen was a mess with Aroldis Chapman and Adam Ottavino both issuing three walks apiece.
Keep slugging, keep battling.
“That’s a postseason game right there,’’ Judge said. “That’s fun, every minute of it. Even them taking a lead. Who wants it more? Guy after guy continues to get big hits. That’s what this team is about. That’s what championship teams are made of. The Twins are a great team … we’ll see them down the road. That’s for sure.’’
The Yankees are a major league best 41-7 when hitting at least two home runs in a game. They have had an AL-high 20 different players homer.
Gary Sanchez is the only Yankee not hitting and he struggled mightily again before leaving the game with a groin injury after landing awkwardly on first base in the eighth. He most certainly will land on the IL.
Luke Voit said, “It doesn’t matter if it is the three-hole hitter or the seventh or eighth hitter, I feel we can all go deep or we can all get a walk to get a rally going. It doesn’t matter if it is a guy throwing 100 or a guy who throws five different pitches, we’ll figure out a way to break up your rhythm and make you pitch in tough situations to where we get to drive in runs and not just getting us out 1-2-3 every inning.’’
Voit pointed out that most teams have those tough 1-through-5 hitters you have to worry about, but then there is “a different level’’ of hitter.
see also
Why Aaron Boone calls his Yankees ‘savages’
Chad Bohling, the Yankees’ director of mental conditioning, asked the…
The Yankees have a 1-through-5 lineup, 1-through-9.
“I mean look at it,’’ Voit said, “here we have Gleyber hitting eighth, he just made the All-Star team. You can’t just throw three fastballs. You have to approach him like you would Edwin [Encarnacion].’’
The Yankees wear out pitchers and you’ve often heard the word relentless used to describe the Yankees lineup.
I asked Voit to choose another word that describes the Yankees lineup and he answered quickly with a knowing smile.
“Savages,’’ he said.
Click Here: cheap nhl jerseys