Didi Gregorius stepped up with the bases loaded in game two of the ALDS, needing a big hit to break out of a late-season slump. Facing Duffy, he fouled off the first pitch, then chased and missed a brutal breaking ball. Duffy went back to the same pitch but missed, and with the count tight, Didi laid off again. Remembering that Duffy had gone fastball in a similar spot earlier in the season, Didi sat on it and crushed a high heater into the upper deck for a grand slam. The stadium exploded. Teammates went nuts. Luis Severino and Aaron Judge were yelling, Delin Betances celebrated because he said he called the shot, and Gleyber Torres looked frozen in the moment, soaking it all in.
Didi got his hug, his curtain call, and that shot of confidence everyone in the dugout knew he needed. He thought about flexing a bat flip but held back, figuring it wasn’t the right time. The video caught some great fan reactions, including a Yankees fan trolling a Twins fan and the bench coach celebrating from his seat. It was a massive swing in the game and the series, and maybe the moment that turns Didi’s postseason around.