Glaber Torres came up big in Game 1 of the ALDS. The Yankees–Twins matchup was tied when Torres stepped in with the bases loaded. Before that, Aaron Judge drew a walk and Brett Gardner got hit by a pitch. Minnesota’s pitching had trouble finding the zone, walking eight Yankees in total. Edwin Encarnacion, fresh off the IL, struck out swinging, and Giancarlo Stanton worked a patient at-bat but didn’t get a pitch to hit. That loaded the bases for Torres.
Torres jumped on the first pitch fastball but didn’t miss wildly. Down 0-2, he stayed calm, spit on a tough curveball, and worked the count full. With the pitcher forced to throw a strike, Torres expected a fastball. He got one and drilled it down the third base line. A ball boy might’ve interfered, possibly affecting the scoring play, but the Yankees still pushed a run across. Stanton, not known for his speed, came around pumped up, and the bench came alive. Torres looked locked in, laying off breaking pitches and waiting for the one he could attack. His plate discipline and timing flipped the inning.