The New York Yankees outscored the Minnesota Twins 23-7 en route to a three-game series sweep in the 2019 ALDS. Second baseman Gleyber Torres led the Yankees to a 5-1 victory in Game 3 by driving in three runs with a home run and two doubles. Torres also made a sensational defensive play in the field to kill a Twins rally, extending their postseason losing streak to 16 straight games.
The Yankees (103-59) advance to the ALCS for the second time in the last three seasons. They will await the winner of the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays series. The Astros were unable to sweep the Tampa Rays in three games. Justin Verlander, working on short rest, will take the mound for the Astros in Game 4.
In the meantime, the Yankees jumped from 3/1 odds to 5/2 odds to win the World Series according to William Hill. Before the postseason began, the Yankees were 4/1 odds to win the championship.
The Yankees knocked the Twins (101-61) out of the playoffs for the sixth time since 2003.This marks the first time in MLB history that a 100-win team was swept in the Division Series.
The Twins extended their postseason losing streak to 16 games. The Twins tied an American pro sports record with 16 straight losses in the playoffs, joining the Chicago Blackhawks, who dropped 16 consecutive games in the NHL playoffs between 1975 and 1979.
Gleyber Torres Day
Torres, 22, has been impressing Yankees fans over the last two seasons as an All-Star. Any time you get yourself on the same lists as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, you must be doing something right.
Torres hit his first career home run of the postseason with a solo blast in the second inning off Jake Odorizzo. He finished the night 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two doubles, and three RBI. Torres led the Yankees with a .417 average in the ALDS against the Twins.
He became the fifth-youngest Yankee to hit a home run in the playoffs, joining an illustrious list that includes Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, and Tony Kubek.
“He got put in a situation where he needed to step up for us, and he did, ” said teammate Aaron Judge. “That’s what he did for us all series. Defensively, offensively he had timely hits. Getting that homer to silence the crowd was huge for us. ”
“Gleyber played so well in this series, and then today, I think, just continued to show the world just how good a player he is on both sides of the ball,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Big defensive plays, extra base hits, stole a base that helped lead to a nice insurance run.”
“Tonight we enjoy the celebration and everything,” said Torres. “We’ve got an off day tomorrow, but the next day, go to the ballpark. We are already focusing on what we want and want to be ready. Be ready for everything. Be ready for the next series and try to be focused to do the same thing, win games.”
Torres still just a kid, but he talks to the media like he’s a savvy veteran in his 30s after the Yankees sweep of the Twins in the 2019 ALDS best-of-five series.
GLEYBER! GONE!
The @Yankees take an early lead on the road!
📺LIVE on FS1 pic.twitter.com/VwPOJdpWHt
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2019
Didi and Great D
Didi Gregorius snapped out of his mini-slump, which plagued him at the end of September. The Yankees shortstop from the Netherlands hit .400 in the series, including a grand slam that broke Game 2 wide open for the Yanks. In the series clincher, Gregorius went 2-for-4 in Game 3, with two RBI against the Twins.
The Yankees didn’t have the best defense during the regular season. However, the defense stepped up in Game 3.
DJ LeMahieu won a Gold Glove at second base with the Colorado Rockies, but he’s been playing first base for the Yanks in the playoffs. He made a big scoop after Torres robbed Eddie Rosario on a shift.
Judge made a couple nice diving catches in Yankee Stadium during the opening two games. The giant in RF made a running, over-the-shoulder catch in Game 3 to kill a potential Twins rally. Judge utilized every inch of his 6-foot-7 frame to haul in a rocket off the bat of Miggy Sano.
“The only guy that can make that play is right there,” said Fox announce John Smoltz. “He’s that tall and that gifted.
What. A. Snag.
Aaron Judge is 6'7", and he needed every bit of that height to make the play here! pic.twitter.com/ikJIxCgNlz
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 8, 2019
Can’t Beat Those Damn Yankees
The Twins futility in October continues after another sweep by the Yankees. The Twins losing streak extended to 16 losses in the postseason, which is a new MLB record. At least 13 of those losses happened at the hands of the Yankees.
Regarding the losing streak, Twins team owner David St. Peter proclaimed, “It’s time to slay the dragon.”
Alas, the dragon once again scorched the Twins. This time it wasn’t even close during a 3-0 sweep.
The Twins smashed the most home runs in baseball this season with 307, which set a new MLB record. However, the big bats were nonexistent in the playoffs.
The Twins scored their only run in Game 3 on a solo home run. Overall in the ALDS, the Twins hit four home runs and all solo shots. The Yankees smacked 5 home runs in the ALDS, including a pair of solo shots in Game 3.
In the 2019 ALDS, the Twins hit a paltry .218. Yankees pitching shut down several big bats, including Max Kepler (0-for-10) and Sano (1-for-12).
“We were outplayed for three games,” said Twins rookie manager Rocco Baldelli. “And it’s OK to acknowledge that. They pitched better than us, they swung the bats better than us, and they defended better than us.”
The Yankees allowed only seven runs in three games. The bullpen pitched lights out with a 2.03 ERA. In Game 3, five pitchers out of the Yankees pen combined for five shutout innings. The Twins went 1-for-11 with runners on base in Game 3. They had multiple opportunities early in the game, but could not score against Luis Severino. Overall in the series, the Twins left 25 runners on base.
On the flip side, Minnesota’s relievers could not get key outs when the Twins were on the ropes. The Twins bullpen ERA swelled to 9.00 by the end of this butt-kicking.
Good stuff. Always have that factoid or stat that I hadn’t read yet.