This happened a little over two years ago, before Randy Dobnak became the first Uber driver known to start a major league playoff game, before he went from Single-A to being a member of the rotation for the AL Central Division-champion Twins, and before he authored a miraculous story born out of self-belief.

Dobnak was pitching for the Utica Unicorns of the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) in Michigan, shortly after going undrafted and graduating from an obscure Division II school, Alderson BroaddusUniversity, in Philippi, W.Va.

Then, over a course of 48 hours, his life changed.

The Twins were in need of a starting pitcher in the lower levels of their minor league system and Dobnak came highly recommended. Jim Essian, a one-time Cubs manager who was managing Dobnak in the independent league, raved about him. So did Justin Orenduff, the USPBL’s director of operations and a former first-round pick of the Dodgers. But longtime Twins scout Billy Milos, who oversees the independent leagues for organization, didn’t have time to see Dobnak pitch.

“I couldn’t find any film on him,” Milos recalled in a phone interview Saturday, before the Twins faced the Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.

YouTube, however, had video of some of Dobnak’s outings, so Milos started there. After a thorough background check and dozens of phone calls, the Twins opted to sign the right-hander.

“We did a lot of work on him and just decided to take a chance,” the scout said. “It was a 48-hour assessment, just digging, working around the clock.”

Just over two years after he signed for $2,000, Dobnak toed the rubber Saturday night on the Yankee Stadium mound, hoping to snap the Twins’ postseason drought of 14 consecutive losses. Through it all, the 24-year-old with glasses and a thick horseshoe mustache, has made ends meet by driving for Uber, with which he has a 4.99 rating.

“He’s about as unique a story as you’re going to find, and in a way, probably that whole story and everything that goes along with it, is probably what’s made him who he is and what’s allowed him to take this journey and find his way to the big leagues,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s been fun to watch him.”

It has been a whirlwind year for the right-hander, who began the season at Single-A Cedar Rapids and made his major league debut on Aug. 9 against the Indians with four shutout innings of relief. Last weekend, he got married. He wasn’t expecting to still be pitching at this time of year.

“Whenever anybody drafts a player or signs a player, it doesn’t matter where they came from, you dream about how you want it to go,” Milos said. “Very few are like that. And yet here we have a guy who was undrafted and has this crazy story. It’s almost like a perfect storm.”

Milos said the Twins were lucky to have found him, but Dobnak also deserves plenty of credit for how he has developed, and how fast he moved through the minor leagues. He’s no charity case. Over 28 ¹/₃ regular-season innings with the Twins, he allowed just one home run, a nod to a heavy one-seam sinker. He pitched to a 1.59 ERA and went 2-1 with five starts in nine appearances.

“I say his makeup is what really drives the whole thing,” Milos said. “If he gets his ass kicked, it won’t be because he’s scared. Nothing bothers this dude. That’s why he was able to make this huge surge this year.

“Randy’s got talent, but there’s guys who throw harder, have better stuff, have bigger bodies. He’s just made right. There’s a reason we’re giving the ball to him.”