Yankees Beat Twins 14-12 In Wild Game Of The Year [VIDEO]

The ongoing complaint frequently levied against baseball that the sport is “too boring” or “too slow” took a stiff blow Tuesday night when the New York Yankees faced off against the Minnesota Twins and won the contest 14-12 at Target Field.

In a game that featured two teams likely to meet in October, leads appeared no safer than a Yankee fan in a Boston bar, as each squad exchanged late-game runs like prospects at the trade deadline. The Yankees ignited the contest’s scoring with a Didi Gregorious two-out double into center field, and the two runs gave New York a first inning 2-0 lead in the 10-inning extravaganza. In response, the Twins hopped on starting pitcher Domingo German quickly, scoring several runs over the next three innings. Capped off with a 414–foot Miguel Sano home run, the Twins took a large, yet deceiving, 8–2 lead.

Both teams proceeded to add more runs during the fifth inning, with Gregorious hurting the Twins again after slapping a three-run home run into the right field seats. Although Jorge Polanco responded with an RBI single, adjusting the game to a 5–9 score that still favored the Twins, New York awaited their chance to offer a massive rebuttal.

Three innings later, the bombers exploded offensively, as RBI doubles from both Mike Tauchman and Aaron Judge put the team in striking distance, as the Yankees now trailed by just one run. Playing the hero role once more was Gregorious, who next stepped up and rocked a double off the center-field wall, scoring both Judge and D.J. LeMahieu as New York completed the comeback and led 10–9 at that point.

Refusing to go out quietly, the Twins ignited a far less difficult, yet equally draining, comeback themselves. Staying hot, Sano clubbed a two-run homer off the commonly unhitable Yankee reliever Zach Britton, and granted Minnesota a 11–10 advantage. Swinging his team back, however, Aaron Hicks launched his own two-run homer, this one into the visiting bullpen and putting New York into the driver’s seat as the they once again revised the scoreboard, which at that point illustrated a 12-11 Yankee lead.

Once entering the dramatic game’s potentially concluding frame, you guessed it: the Twins battled back. Yankee closer Aroldis Champman struggled mightily from the hill, walking four batters and eventually giving up a sack fly RBI to Polanco. After somehow grinding out the inning without relinquishing the game–ending run, extra innings commenced. Joining the fun, Gleyber Torres pushed the Yankees back into the lead with an RBI single to right-center field. Austin Romine followed by adding some further insurance after singling and proceeding to score on a wild pitch.

With another chance to close out the game, this time New York turned to Adam Ottavino, who entered the game with an exceptional 1.91 ERA. However, the drama raged on as Ottavino proceeded to load the bases on three walks, seemingly playing right into the trend Chapman illustrated during his ninth-inning collapse. One out away from ending the five-hour game, the New York Yankees called upon Chad Green to face frequent walk–off hitter Max Kepler. On a night highlighted with offensive firepower, the Yankees finished things off next on a play for the ages.

By connecting on Green’s fourth pitch, Kepler shot a ball deep into left-center. With the ball cutting towards the grass and threatening to score the winning runs for Minnesota, an all–out diving Hicks intercepted the ball and at last silenced Minnesota, thus ending perhaps the league’s best game with the greatest catch thus far during the season.

“That was a do-or-die play,” said Hicks following his incredible catch and a celebratory ice bath from his teammates. “That was a play that needed to be made in order for the game to end.”

Meanwhile, the Minnesota players trotted off Target Field stunned and understandably disappointed. “You do everything right, and it gets caught,” said Kepler after the dust had settled. Although they still maintained a first-place lead, the Twins dropped to 61–39 following the heart–wrenching loss.

Head coach Aaron Boone also reflected on the game as he stated, “That’s one of those games that, for being late July, we’ll probably be talking about for a long time.” With everyone certainly agreeing with Boone’s statement, fans can only hope for an encore, one that if possible could come with even further drama, as the playoffs near closer.

Article by Collin Helwig