For MAKE PLAYS' MLB playoff preview, we decided to gaze into our crystal balls to see what every one of the eight postseason teams would need to do to take home the World Series. Here, Miniaci discusses how the AL East Champion Yankees could win the title.
Pressure situations call for unlikely heroes, and the New York Yankees got theirs in Game 7 Thursday night.
Outfielder Brett Gardner singled home Jorge Posada in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Yankees defeated the Phillies 2-1 to win their 27th World Series title.
Gardner, who only had seven at bats in the Series before Thursday night, came in as a defensive replacement for Melky Cabrera in the top of the ninth. Posada led off the bottom of the inning with a double, and Gardner took care of the rest, smacking a Brad Lidge pitch into center field for the win.
Ryan Howard homered for the Phillies in the top of the first and Series MVP Alex Rodriguez tied it in the bottom half of the first with a home run of his own.
It remained a scoreless pitchers' duel between aces CC Sabathia and Cole Hamels the rest of the way until Gardner's heroics.
The Yankees' road to their first World Series win in their new stadium was a daunting one. The Yankees took down the Twins in a four-game sweep before downing their rivals -- the Red Sox -- in seven.
Rodriguez quieted his nay sayers this post season, clubbing 11 home runs over the Yankees' 18 playoff contests, including five in the World Series.
- Miniaci
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