The Yankees pulled off a late walk-off win against the A’s in extra innings, thanks to DJ LeMahieu. In the bottom of the 11th, he took the first pitch he saw, a 97 mph fastball, and sent it over the right-field wall. LeMahieu doesn’t show much emotion, but this time he gave a small fist pump rounding first, sealing the 4-3 win.
The dugout erupted. Judge was already headed to clear trash out of the way while Brett Gardner sprinted for the Gatorade cooler. Tauchman acted like it was a football celebration, waving DJ in like he scored a touchdown. DJ kept it cool at the plate, even while Gardner and Didi showered him with the cold bath. CC Sabathia looked confused after catching the Gatorade splash himself. Judge gave out head rubs like trophies, engulfing teammates’ heads with his giant hand. Nearly everyone on the team let loose while DJ stayed calm as ever.
The Yankees escaped several jams to get to that moment. The bench celebration was loud and messy, full of hugs, high fives, and pure relief. Judge and Gardner looked like kids out there, and even though DJ played the hero, it was clear everyone else had more fun showing it.