In the old days, when success at this time of year was a habit for the Yankees and regularly marked on the calendar alongside Oktoberfest, they would have known exactly what needed to happen now. They should instinctively and habitually know how to approach Game 3 of this American League Division Series, which resumes Wednesday in Kansas City.
As the years went on, a rosy story emerged that the Dynasty Boys were so good, so dominant, so talented that they just turned teams around. The passage of time tends to airbrush Maalox moments.
Sometimes they simply overwhelmed everyone who came.
And sometimes I had to counterpunch. At times, they had to break into the minds of brave upstarts who believed they might have gotten inside the Yankees' heads and into their nervous systems. And almost every time, the Yankees not only had the answer, they gave it right away. It was one of their superpowers.
They knew how to swing a sledgehammer.
These Yankees need a little of that now that the Royals won 4-2 at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. They should pack some sledgehammers in their carry-on bags.
“We've done this many times,” said Jazz Chisholm Jr., owner of one of the few Yankees bats not covered in preservatives that hit the home run in the ninth inning. “One day we get our butts kicked and the next day we get our butts kicked.”
That's the idea. It must be so. It was always like that. In 1998, in a 2-1 loss to Cleveland in the ALCS, El Duque Hernandez wrote the first chapter of his legend. He struck out Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and others with seven innings, 115 pitches and four hits, reminding us which team won. He won 114 games. The Yankees did not lose again for the rest of the playoffs.
Two years later, Derek Jeter hit a leadoff home run off Bobby Jones after the Mets won Game 3 of the World Series. Order was soon restored to the Subway series. The Yankees didn't lose another game that year.
In 2001, just when it looked like the Athletics would finally end the Yankees' run in the ALDS, Jeter executed a flip play in Oakland.
It was the same stadium where a year ago, during a do-or-die Game 5 for the Yankees, a confident Eric Chavez heard a little profanity on the scoreboard during batting practice and then drove in a six. . At the top of the first.
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The Yankees could use a little bit or a lot of that Wednesday. The Royals are a good club and a smart club, but they didn't win Game 2 in the lottery. They won in the same way they beat the Orioles on skill, the same way they improved from 56 wins to 86 on skill. It looked like Carlos Rodon was going to mow them down all night. They recovered and knocked him out before the end of the fourth inning. They're hard out.
“They're tough,” Rodon said. “They keep coming at you.”
The Yankees' offense, which has struggled with regular brownouts throughout the season, was unable to get to grips with nervous Royals pitching early in the first innings of both games. They got away with it in Game 1, but they couldn't do it in Game 2. So instead of flying to Missouri with a hammerlock in the series, they'll be heading there with a tie. The Royals have to believe they have a chance.
The Yankees need to dispel that notion from the Royals. Quickly. Violently. The easiest way for an underdog to send a favorite home early is when they believe a little too much and are allowed to hang around a little too long. Just ask Alabama, or better yet, Vanderbilt, what's possible when that happens.
“We've got to win two more games, and that's just as important,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said 20 minutes after Gleyber Torres' grounder to Bobby Witt Jr. clinched the game. . “It's the playoffs. Every day is important. Hopefully we can reunite. [Wednesday]take care of Game 3 because the next one is right in front of us. ”
They need to make a statement early in Game 3 like they were there to win it all from the start of Game 2, but just couldn't quite grasp it. They got an early lead, but Rodon quickly squirted it away. Although there was a lot of traffic, there were few hits. We've seen this many times with the Yankees before this year.
In most cases, the answer is yes. Chisholm is right about that. Most of the time, the Yankees bounced back before things went wildly sideways.
“This is a testament to our success,” Boone said. “Especially after a difficult game. They're really confident and rightfully so. They're ready for Game 3.”
Judge Aaron said: they are excited. ”
It should be. They have always been that way, in the old days and in the good times. It's happened too many times for it to be a coincidence. They were eloquent and elegant champions. But they were also ruthless killers who specialized in bullying balls when necessary. These Yankees could use a little bit of that.
They could use a little bully ball. quick.
