MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-17
6. Miguel Sano, 52 percent
By the book, Gregorius’s double capping the five-run eighth should have set the Yankees up for a victory against Minnesota Tuesday. It not only gave the visitors a lead, but it also improved the odds of a New York win to 72 percent…better if you consider that the Yankees had ace relievers Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman prepared to close the door.
Sano, however, had other plans. As noted earlier, it had already been a good night for him, a three-run home run shooting the home team into an 8-2 lead midway through the game.
Nelson Cruz grounded out to the first base to open the inning, but Eddie Rosario followed with a weak line drive that handcuffed Urshela at third base, Rosario reaching first. Sano was the next batter.
Sano worked the count to his advantage, then coaxed Britton into delivering a 2-1 fastball in hitting the range. To the delight of the home crowd, Sano swung and sent the shot on a 457-foot flight into the left-center field seats for his second home run of the evening, this one carrying potentially decisive weight.
As Sano stood in the batter’s box, the Twins’ chances of victory stood at only 33 percent. When he touched home plate, he improved them by a full 52 percent, all the way to 85 percent. The Twins led 11-10 and needed only for their own closer, Taylor Rogers, to nail down the final three outs in the ninth.
As will be dealt with later, that did not happen.