With the New York Yankees season in the books, let’s look back at the 10 best games of the 2019 season.
Despite Aaron Judge calling the New York Yankees season a “failure” after not finishing short of a world series title, it’s hard not to call the 2019 season a success in many ways.
The Yankees overcame over 25 injures, including several of their key players missing significant time and still won 103 games and came within two victories of the fall classic.
Despite not winning it all, 2019 was a memorable season in the Bronx and is hopefully a prequel of what’s to come in 2020.
With that said, let’s look back at the top 10 games from the New York Yankees 2019 season.
No. 10: Yankees Open The ALCS In Style
October 12th, 2019:
For the second time in three seasons, the Yankees traveled to Houston for game one of an ALCS showdown with the Astros.
Unlike their game one defeat at Minute Maid Park in 2017, the Yankees opened the 2019 series with a huge victory.
Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton and Gio Urshela all hit solo home runs as Torres finished the game with five RBI’s to give the Yankees seven runs in the series opener.
On the mound Masahiro Tanaka shut down, the Astros stacked lineup throwing six scoreless innings with four strikeouts. He would give way to the bullpen where Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton and Jonathan Losagia combined for four shutout innings in relief to complete a shutout victory.
No. 9: Severino, Bats Finish Off Twins
October 7th, 2019: With a 2-0 series lead, the Yankees traveled to Minnesota, looking to continue their playoff dominance of Twins.
New York took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a home run by Torres, but the Twins loaded the bases with nobody out against Luis Severino in the bottom of the second inning.
In one of the gutsiest pitching performances in recent Yankee history, Severino escaped the inning unharmed to hold the Twins scoreless. This allowed the offense time to tack on runs as they went onto win the ball-game and clinch the series sweep.
Final Score: Yankees 5, Twins 1
No. 8: Romine, Stanton Lead Yankees Past Astros
June 22nd, 2019: In what proved to be an ALCS preview, the Yankees and Astros played a four-game series at Yankee Stadium in June.
After taking the first two games of the series, the Astros fought the Yankees punch for punch in game three.
New York held a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh when Yordan Alvarez slugged a three-run home run to put Houston on top 5-4.
The Yankees would be quick to respond as Austin Romine hit a game-tying home run in the bottom half of the inning, which was soon followed by Giancarlo Stanton, a two-run single to put the Yankees back on top 7-5.
Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman would combine to shut down the Astros in the eighth and ninth innings to secure a series victory for the Bombers.
Final Score: Yankees 7, Astros 5
No. 7: Yankees Rock Price, Complete Four Game Sweep of Sox
August 4th, 2019 One weekend after losing three out of four to the Red Sox at Fenway, the Yankees got their sweet revenge.
The Bombers took the first three games of the series setting up a chance to complete a four-game sweep on Sunday night baseball that would all but end the Red Sox playoff hopes.
This is exactly what the Yankees would do as they got to David Price early with home runs from Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela to put the Bombers on top 3-0. The Yankees would finish Price off with RBI hits from Cameron Maybin, Mike Ford and Mike Tauchman to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
Boston would make a comeback push, but it would not be enough as the Yankees completed the four-game sweep.
Final Score: Yankees 7, Red Sox 4
No. 6: Kershaw “Krushed”, Yankees Take Series In LA
August 25th, 2019 In what many predicted to be a world series preview, the Yankees and Dodgers squared off at Dodger Stadium in a late August series.
The team’s split the first to games of the series, setting up a deceive game three. With Clayton Kershaw on the mound, the Dodgers appeared to have the edge, but after one batter, the Yankees would prove that wasn’t the case as DJ LeMahieu hit a leadoff home run to give the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead.
Later with the game tied at one, Aaron Judge went deep to put the Bombers on top 2-1. In the top of the sixth, Mike Ford delivered Kershaw’s knock out punch with a solo home run to extend the New York lead.
Ford would go onto hit an RBI double in the eighth, and Gio Urshela singled home another in the ninth as the Yankees took two out of three from the Dodgers.
Final Score: Yankees 5, Dodgers 1
No. 5:Yankees Clinch London Sweep
June 30th, 2019 After a wild first game in London that will be talked about later on, the Yankees looked to clinch a series sweep in game two.
This did not look possible after the Red Sox scored four runs off of Stephen Tarpley in the top of the first, but the Yankees would not be denied.
With the score 4-2 in the top of the seventh, the Yankees offense rallied for an incredible nine runs with RBI hits from Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu to go on top 11-4.
Didi Gregorius would add a solo home run in the top of the eighth, which proved key as the Red Sox plated four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
However, Aroldis Chapman was able to stop the bleeding in the ninth, securing the series sweep.
Final Score: Yankees 12, Red Sox 8
No. 4: Gio Ties It, DJ Wins It
May 7th, 2019 For Yankees fans not sold on the 2019 season being special, this game was one to have them start believing.
Down 4-2 in the ninth to Seattle looked to rally off Mariners closer Anthony Swarzak. With one man on and one man out, the legend of Gio Urshela continued as he smashed a game-tying two-run home run to straightaway center field to tie the game.
Later in the inning, Cameron Maybin singled and stole second base to set-up DJ LeMahieu with Roenis Elias on the mound for Seattle. LeMahieu would deliver with a walk-off single to complete a wild comeback that started to show the world the 2019 Yankees were something special.
Final Score: Yankees 5, Mariners 4
No. 3: Yankees Storm Back To Beat Tampa
May 17th, 2019: For fans still not sold on the magic of the 2019 Yankees, soon after their wild comeback victory over Seattle, they’d do it again against the then A.L. East-leading Rays.
Down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees jumped all over closer Jose Alvarado. Luke Voit led off the inning with a solo home run to quickly cut the lead to 3-2. With two on and one out, the Yankees tied the game as Alvarado threw a wild pitch that allowed Thario Estrada to score and tie the game.
Then with two out, Gio Urshela again played the role of hero as he scored Clint Fraizer with a walk-off RBI single to stun the Rays and complete the comeback.
Final Score Yankees 4, Rays 3
No. 2: A Football Score In London
June 29th, 2019 As promised, the Yankees game one victory in London was surely one every fan will remember. Both the Yankees and Red Sox plated six runs in the first inning setting up an already wild game.
The Yankees quickly untied things in the top of the third as Brett Gardner ripped a two-run home run. New York would push the lead to 17-6 highlighted by an Aaron Judge home run, and a pair of RBI hits from DJ LeMahieu.
Boston would show no quit however, as they rallied for seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings to force the Yankees into using Aroldis Chapman in the ninth with a four-run lead. Chapman would finally put an end to things as the Yankees won a game that saw a combined 30 runs scored.
Final Score: Yankees 17, Red Sox 13
No. 1: Yankees Outlast The Twins
July 23rd, 2019: Not only was this the game of the year for Yankees 2019 season, but many also dubbed it the game of the year in all of baseball.
In a postseason preview, the Yankees and Twins battled punch for punch at Target Field as Minnesota looked to prove they could handle the mighty Bombers.
The Twins jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but this would not phase New York. Didi Gregorius hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth to start the comeback.
Then down 9-5 in the eighth, the Yankees stormed back to take the lead as Mike Tauchman, Aaron Judge, and Cameron Maybin all hit RBI doubles to put New York on top 10-9.
This would not mark the end of the Twins; however, as Miguel Sano hit a go-ahead two-run home run off of Zack Britton to put his team ahead 11-10.
New York would fight back again; however, as with the team down to their final out, Aaron Hicks blasted a monster go-ahead two-run home run to put the Yankees up 12-11.
The Twins again would tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but in the 10th, the Yankees finally put the Twins away.
Gleyber Torres and Gregorius both hit RBI singles, and in the bottom half of the inning, Hicks made a diving catch on to lock down the victory.
Final Score: Yankees 14, Twins 12 (10 innings)