MINNEAPOLIS – It wasn’t a picture-perfect night for baseball at Target Field on Monday night, but these Yankees seem to thrive under imperfect conditions.
José Caballero homered and doubled and Aaron Judge went deep for the first time since his return from the IL as the Yankees rallied to beat the Twins, 8-3.
It’s the third straight season and the eighth time in Aaron Boone’s nine years as manager that the Yankees have reached the postseason.
“Every year you go through a lot, it seems like, but we've been through a lot this year with injuries, with adversity,” Boone said. “But credit to them for coming together. Through all the ups and downs, they’ve been a together group. I feel like they've developed a lot of grit over the season.”
In a game played in a constant drizzle, the Yankees overcame a 2-1 deficit with a six-run eighth inning, capped by Judge crushing an A.J. Minter pitch deep into the second deck in left for a three-run homer that put the Yankees on top, 7-2.
The home run was a reminder of what the Yankees were missing when Judge was sidelined for three months with a right rib fracture, and what his return could mean to this team the rest of the way.
“I like to describe him as a force of nature,” rookie center fielder Spencer Jones said. “I mean, he's inevitable in a lot of cases, so it’s going to be fun down the stretch."
After the game, amid a raucous locker-room celebration, Judge paused to reflect on how different this season has been for him, and how equally special it has been.
“I'm proud of the guys,” Judge said. “I've been proud of what they've done, proud of the young guys coming up and filling some holes for us.
“You know, seeing Spencer, how he's really evolved every single time he got called up, gotten a little bit better, a little bit better. Our starting pitching doing what it’s done. You call up a guy like George Lombard [Jr.], 21 years old, to be the shortstop for the Yankees, and he’s just fit right in with this group. I'm just proud of the guys.”
The focus now turns to chasing down the Rays (90-59), who have a 3 1/2-game lead over the Yankees (87-63) with just less than two weeks to play. That includes four games at Yankee Stadium starting on Sept. 22, a series that could decide the AL East. Safe to say nobody in that clubhouse is satisfied with a Wild Card berth.
“When we’re at full strength, I feel like we're unstoppable,” said pitcher Will Warren. “I think we're a really good team, and we can do more. This is the baseline. Like, this is what we’re expected to do, so it’s continue to move forward and push the needle.”
And when asked if the Yankees were the team nobody wants to see in October, Warren looked across the chaotic scene at the towering figure holding court on the opposite side of the locker room and broke into a huge grin.
“Absolutely,” Warren said. “We’ve got Aaron Judge back! I don't think anybody wants to see us. We’ve got a veteran core that’s been here before, and we’re looking to do big things.”