With just one out in the game, and his team’s ace on the mound, Joe Girardi got Chad Green up in the team’s bullpen, just in case, and Severino gave up yet another hit, with Eduardo Escobar singling to center. Max Kepler doubled to right, sending Escobar to third, and Severino’s day was over, with Girardi unable to take any chances on a day where his young star clearly did not have his best stuff.

The damage was done, but Chad Green kept it from getting worse. Luis Severino had left quite a mess for Green, with runners on second and third and just one out, but the reliable reliever struck out Byron Buxton and Jason Castro to limit the Twins to a 3-0 lead. The final line on Severino was 1/3 of an inning, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk and 2 home runs. He threw just 29 pitches.

Bottom 1st: Didi Gregorius Ties Game With 3-Run Homer

It is a tie game after Didi Gregorius homered to right-center on a one-out fastball, driving in Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge.

Gardner had led off against Ervin Santana, drawing a walk, setting up Judge’s postseason debut. The big right fielder showed off his big swing and his patience, taking a few hacks while working a full-count, and then he proved there was more in his repertoire than just home runs by singling softly to center on a slider in the dirt. Gary Sanchez fouled out, but then it was Gregorius, the Yankees’ shortstop, who evened the score with a ball that exited the park at more than 100 miles per hour.

Paul Molitor showed more faith in his ace than Joe Girardi had in Luis Severino, leaving Minnesota’s bullpen quiet after Gregorius’s blast. The Twins’ manager was mostly rewarded for his faith in Santana, with Starlin Castro flying out to center and Greg Bird drawing a walk before Aaron Hicks ended the inning with a groundout to second. Santana’s day will likely be short, however, as he’s already up to 41 pitches.

Top 2nd: Chad Green Shuts Down Twins

So much for all that action of the first inning. Chad Green struck out Robbie Grossman and Brian Dozier, bringing him to four consecutive strikeouts, before getting Joe Mauer to fly out to center to end the half-inning. Green needed just 18 pitches, which was quite a change from the first inning where the teams combined to throw 81 pitches and allow six runs.