This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
Published on October 5, 2019, the Yankees' quest to reach their first World Series in 10 years began in the Bronx, where they faced the powerful Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
James Paxton pitched around a bad error by D.J. LeMahieu, who dropped an easy pop-up at first base that allowed C.J. Cron to reach base safely and put two runners on base with only one out.
However, Paxton took care of it by inducing a ground ball to the left side of the infield, and Gio Urshela made a nice scoop to initiate the double play. Marwin Gonzalez hit a one-out double in the inning.
Earlier, Jorge Polanco silenced the Yankee Stadium crowd with a bases-empty home run to left field, his first home run in 24 at-bats at the stadium. Polanco slugged a 98 mile-per-hour fastball, down and in from lefty James Paxton, several rows into the seats.
The Twins' leadoff hitter, Polanco, was the first to reach base in the game, and his home run gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Yankees' manager, Aaron Boone, will need to rally his team to catch up in the game.
- The Yankees and the Twins played a thrilling game in July, which might have been the best game of the year. The game ended with Aaron Hicks's spectacular diving catch in center field.
- Both managers, Aaron Boone and Rocco Baldelli, skillfully navigated their seasons, with Boone keeping his team focused and coherent despite a staggering number of injuries, and Baldelli leading the Twins to their second 100-win season.
- Relief pitching could prove critical in the postseason, and both teams have above-average bullpens. The Yankees' relievers allowed an average of 4.56 runs per game, while the Twins were at 4.65.
