BOSTON -- Stephen Tarpley shouted with delight in the middle of the Yankees' celebration on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, announcing the indisputable fact that sparkling wine does sting when sprayed into your eyes.
The rookie left-hander has participated in two such celebrations since his callup, and the Yankees are hoping that he can help them reach a third. Tarpley and left-hander Carsten Sabathia will be added to the roster for the American League Division Series, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Kyle Higashioka and Tyler Wade are being removed from the roster that the Yankees carried into the American League Wild Card Game. New York will thus carry 12 pitchers and 13 position players against the Red Sox.
:: ALDS schedule and results ::
Tarpley, 25, has impressed with his sinker-slider mix, retiring 14 of the 18 left-handed batters he has faced, with a hit and three walks. Boone believes that Tarpley could be a valuable situational left-hander, a role they did not have assigned despite the presence of Albertin Chapman and Zach Britton.
"If I get ahead of guys, it's the same style of baseball," Tarpley said. "Get my ground balls, get my strikeouts once I get ahead. If I fall behind, that's where I get hurt. I'm just learning to be a little bit more consistent than I had been, and consistently in the zone."
Tarpley was acquired from the Pirates in the July 2016 Ivan Nova trade and split this season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining to go 7-2 with a 1.94 ERA, two saves and 71 strikeouts in 36 games (69 2/3 innings). After a shaky big league debut on Sept. 2, Tarpley did not allow a run in nine appearances.
"There were a lot of good things I took from it," Tarpley said. "Just the fact that I wasn't getting completely shelled around the yard and when I did get ahead I got my strikeouts and I got some weak contact. Just moving forward, I've gotten more comfortable out there. I use that as a learning tool."
Welcome back
The Yankees completed the regular season at Fenway Park, then returned home to face the Athletics in Wednesday's AL Wild Card Game. They didn't bother unpacking, as they were banking on returning to Boston -- though a slow-moving train delayed their arrival and nixed a scheduled workout on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have had to cool their heels at home while potentially having to play eight consecutive games against the Yankees. Boone believes the active week could serve as an advantage for New York.
"I think there's a benefit in playing," Boone said. "The fact is, the final week of the season we were still playing for a lot and playing against tough competition. … I think there is some benefit to that in being in those games, playing in meaningful games, playing with a lot on the line each and every day. Hopefully that's something that serves us well."

'G' Force
Giancarlo Stanton waited 1,144 games to make his first career postseason appearance, which had been the second-most among active players (Kyle Seager). He made the most of it, slugging a monstrous home run in the Yankees' Wild Card victory over the Athletics, and Boone believes it can springboard the slugger to greater heights.
"I think what's been so impressive about G is just his focus and his intent and his purpose from the day he showed up in Spring Training, about kind of the mission he's on," Boone said. "His professionalism and his focus, day in and day out, no matter what the result was of that day has been really, really something that's been admirable the way he's gone about his business and the kind of teammate he's been.
"So to see him go out in that kind of atmosphere last night at Yankee Stadium and have results, that was pretty cool to see."