Yankees Beat Twins, 8-4, in A.L. Wild Card Game

Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and the New York bullpen allowed just one run in eight-plus innings of relief, as the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins, 8-4, in the American League Wild Card game in the Bronx on Tuesday night. The victory was the storied franchise’s first postseason win in five years.

Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner also homered for New York, which advanced to face the A.L. Central champion Indians in the best-of-five American League Division Series in Cleveland on Thursday.

The Yankees rallied past Minnesota, which got a solo home run from Brian Dozier to lead off the game, followed by Eddie Rosario’s two-run shot. Yankees’ starter Luis Severino was lifted from the game for Chad Green two batters later, a move that would help save the season for the Bronx Bombers.

Didi Gregorius’ three-run homer off Ervin Santana in the bottom of the first tied the score. The Twins’ ace was soon gone, as New York claimed a 4-3 lead on Gardner’s laser-shot into second deck in right field in the second inning.

After Minnesota loaded the bases on Green in the third, David Robertson relieved him, yielding an RBI grounder to Byron Buxton to tie the game for the last time. The Yankees took the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame when Greg Bird’s two-out single off eventual loser Jose Berrios plated Gary Sanchez.

Rookie slugger Judge, who had 52 home runs in the regular season, added a line-drive homer off Berrios in the fourth. The New York ‘pen of winning pitcher Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman kept the Twins off the scoreboard for the rest of the game and shut them out of the playoffs.