Did The Top Of First Actually Do Minnesota In Last Night?
We all know 
in a one, winner-take-all, game, getting off to a hot start is vital. But I must ask, did Minnesota’s nearly 30-minute top of the first in last night’s AL Wild Card against the New York Yankees actually do them in? Let’s look at what transpired:
Top of the first, first batter for the Twins is Dozier. Severino is pitching for the Yankees. First pitch, a 100-mph fastball for a strike. Followed by three balls and on the next pitch, a 99-mph fastball, Dozier connects for a lead off home run to left-center field and Minnesota takes a 1-0 lead.
Mauer fouls out to third for the first out of the inning and Polanco works a seven-pitch walk. Severino is already up to 14 pitches just after three batter. Next batter up, Rosario, and on the third pitch (17th overall in the inning for Severino), he connects on a 92-mph slider for a two-run home run to right field and like that, Minnesota has a 3-0 lead and for those of us who do NOT like the Yankees, we are loving this. We are revved up. It just may be one game and out for them!
Next batter up, Escobar, singles to center. Up comes Kepler and he makes Severino throw nine pitches before he doubles to right and Escobar is held up at third. We now have runners on 2nd and 3rd and only one out. It may be a TKO! Buxton comes up next and unfortunately after five pitches, he strikes out for the second out of the inning … but what is this … Out comes Girardi and after throwing 34 pitches, Severino is OUT!
C. Green is now in as relief. Just one more hit and it’s 5-0. Please, just one more hit. Castro steps up to the plate and darn, he strikes out. Minnesota scores three runs on four hits and send eight men to the plate.
BUT, in a winner take all game, did that nearly 30 minute top of the first hamper Santana when he goes out to the mound for the bottom of the first? Looks like it did. Normally, after a pitcher warms up in the ball in the bullpen and specially if they are the visiting team, most don’t like to sit on the bench for an extended period of time in the first because they don’t want to lose that feeling of being ready to pitch.
Bottom of the first, first batter up for the Yankees is Gardner and Santana throws six consecutive fastballs and having a little bit of a control problem, Gardner walks.
Next batter is Judge and he makes Santana throw seven pitches (only one fastball and six consecutive sliders) and on that seventh, an 87-mph slider, Judge connects for a single to center and Gardner’s speed allows him to go to third. Runners on the corners and no outs. All of us non-Yankees fans are just hoping Santana settles down and gets out of the inning with minimal damage.
Santana gets Sanchez to foul out to the catcher on four pitches and then Gregorius steps to the plate. Six pitches (five fastballs and one changeup) and it’s that sixth pitch that will live as the dagger that let all the air out of Minnesota’s momentum and the lead, as Santana throws a 96-mph fastball and Gregorius connects deep to right-center field and on that one swing, it is now tied 3-3. Santana would walk another batter but gets out of the first eventually and it’s been nearly 45 minutes to play just the first inning of the AL Wild Card and we have a 3-3 tie.
But Santana would throw 42 pitches in just that one inning. So, though we want our team to build an early lead, once again I have to ask, did sitting on the bench for nearly 30 minutes throw Santana off his rhythm? Or did he just pitch a really lousy inning? Any way you look at it, the Yankees (BLECH!) won but their reward for their efforts is having to play the best team in the AL, the Cleveland Indians in the Divisional Series … I’ll let you know tomorrow how I see that series!
