Redemption=Rejuvenation

"My season is not over. I plan to do everything in my power to return and help our team win in 2017."

These are the words from Yankees first basemen Greg Bird. He declared he would come back to the field after team doctors wrote him off in July. Not only did he come back from his ankle injury(one that succumbed him to 48 games), but came back in superhero fashion. Bird would finish the season, the way his spring training went, on fire. He finished the season with 8 hrs, 25 rbi's in only 29 games, compared to 1 hr, 3 rbi's in his first 19 games. He would continue his hot streak into the postseason, with a clutch rbi in the Wildcard game, and the home run that brought the crowd to its feet to break a 0-0 tie accounting for the only run of the ballgame.

“It was difficult. My team needed me very bad and I didn’t do my job, I just didn’t command my pitches. I don’t want to be in that situation and lose that game like that. And right now I (will) get the chance to pitch again," Luis Severino somberly told reporters after his Wildcard game performance, which was one for the record books, 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 HR, 81.0 ERA.

Sevy needed(yes the magic word) Redemption! Game 4, Sevy took the mound and pounded Indians batters like the ace he was all year long. 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 er, and 9 strike outs. In another elimination game, he was the ace the Yanks expected in that wildcard game. The offense once again would provide the run support as they would go on to win 7-3.

Finally, to game 5. Would Girardi mismanage this game? Would the bullpen bounce back from that game 2 debacle? If you have been living on the rock the answer to those questions could be answered by the Daniel Bryan catchphrase "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

Didi, aka Sir Clutch(Checkout Bronx Pinstripes for Sir Clutch Tee shop.bronxpinstripes.com), would come through in a final elimination game with not 1, but 2 home runs off Cy Young worthy pitcher Corey Kluber, who on this night, would not redeem his game 2 performance.

CC Sabathia would pitch a brilliant 4 innings, before batters found some holes, and were quickly 1 run behind. Enter D-Rob.

In game 2, he would give up a game tying hr to Jay Bruce, and the Yankees would eventually lose that game. In this appearance, he walked into a very tough situation; two on, 1 out. D-Rob, in houdini fashion, would get the double play ball, turned brilliantly by Sir Didi.

He would pitch another 2 innings of shutout ball, and would pass the baton onto the Cuban Missle, Chapman.

Last time he was asked to pitched 2 innings of relief in this ballpark, he would get the W in game 7 of the World Series. For this night, he would need to get the save, in order to advance one step closer to said World Series.

After pitching a 1-2-3 8th inning, with the score 3-2, I wanted to text my friend and say "Hey they need some separation", but then again I didn't wanna jinx anything. The Yanks, in comeback kid fashion, would get such separation thanks to clutch at bats by Hicks, Frazier, and the rbi man, Bret the hit man Gardner.

The Yanks got their separation off one of the best closers in baseball, however, it did come at a price. As noted by John Smoltz, Chapman was sitting on the bench for 30 minutes. Closers run on adrenaline, running from the bullpen, doing their thing, and call it a night.

First batter, walks. Now I am going stir crazy. Encarnacion is up. Even with an ankle injury, this guy could have taken Chapman out of the park, with Chaps velocity, and lack of command in the 9th. He would eventually strikeout. Santana, another hr threat, down on strikes. Austin Jackson, former highly touted Yankee prospect was the Indians final hope.  Could he redeem himself from that costly error in the 9th that put Hicks on at 2nd? If he was a Yankee, we know what the answer would be. Jackson would strikeout looking, giving the Yankees their redemption.

Joe Girardi, who was blasted by fans( I will admit, I was one of them) and the media for his game 2 decisions, redeemed himself with all the right moves in this game. He will no longer have to answer to all the criticism because his players picked him up; as noted by Frazier and CC in their post game conferences.

The Yankees will take the field tonight at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Masahiro Tanaka will square off against Dallas Keuchel. Once again, the word redemption will come up. Will Judge redeem himself from his record setting 16ks in the Division series, proving he's worthy of the MVP and not Altuve? Will the Yankees redeem themselves from 2015's Wildcard game(my first live postseason game) in which DK shutout the Yankees, while Tanaka took the loss?

I think Greg Bird's quote at the end of game 3 says it best, "We are not done playing yet". This team, along with its fan base, is rejuvenated, and will bring that comeback spirit into this series.