2020 MLB Postseason: DJ LeMahieu, the right man in the right spot.
DJ LeMahieu is the first person since 1903 to win a batting title in both leagues. So he knows a thing or two about delivering in the clutch. On Wednesday, LeMahieu delivered the Cleveland Indians right out of the American League post-season.
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Until the ninth inning of New York’s 10-9 victory, this had not been LeMahieu’s night. Hitless in his four previous official at-bats, he had stranded the only two runners who had reached ahead of him. New York entered the ninth inning of a twisty, turning game one run behind the Indians and facing closer Brad Hand, whose 2020 performance sheet showed 16 saves without a single hitch.
In fact, Hand had allowed only one run in his previous 15 appearances dating back to mid-August.
The Yanks were not intimidated. Giancarlo Stanton walked, Gio Urshela singled, and Gleyber Torres rolled a base hit past Hand that filled the bases. A whiff and a game-tying Gary Sanchez’s sacrifice fly later, LeMahieu came to bat, the right man in the right situation at the right time.
He fell behind 0-2, then slapped a Hand slider into center field for the hit that scored Urshela with the run that gave New York the lead. When Aroldis Chapman polished off the Indians in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees had officially advanced to meet the Tampa Bay Rays in the division round.