NEW YORK _ The Yankees sincerely and somewhat realistically hope this was not a wild-card playoff preview. A one-game October showdown with the Twins would rank as a consolation prize. If that happens, though, they have the consolation of knowing that they probably will play at home and that they can outpitch the opposition.
In a step toward hosting the wild-card game and possibly avoiding it altogether, the Yankees beat the Twins, 2-1, on Monday night at Yankee Stadium. The victory moved them five games ahead of Minnesota in the race for the top wild-card spot.
Dellin Betances put the wild in the wild-card chase, making a mess of the eighth inning with a hit batsman, wild pitch and two walks before Aroldis Chapman bailed him out _ dousing the bases-loaded jam _ on his way to a five-out save.
Jaime Garcia, the Yankees starter and former Twin (for less than a week), pitched well enough to win but left with the score tied at 1. He allowed no earned runs in his 5 2/3 innings and put the Yankees on the right track. The mostly solid pitching and the power of Aaron Judge, who hit his 44th home run, bolstered the team's confidence.
"I think we match up well against anybody, to be honest," said Brett Gardner, who had three hits and two stolen bases. "I like the way we've been playing recently and whether it be the Twins or the Royals or the Red Sox or whoever we've been playing recently, I like the chances we have."
Early departures have become a running theme for Garcia. He lasted only six days with the Twins, having made only one start between being traded from the Braves and dealt to the Yankees. He won that game, but the Twins abruptly (and incorrectly) determined they were more appropriately sellers than buyers.
"That's kind of weird," Joe Girardi said of the sequence. "That's an interesting twist to this."
A quick hook became the signature moment in his Yankees tenure, when he was none too pleased to be lifted with two outs in the fifth _ one out short of a chance to get a victory _ against the Rays last Wednesday at Citi Field. Garcia appeared steamed as Girardi came out to remove him that day. The manager said later he admired the competitive spirit and that it would not be a problem unless the hard feelings lingered.
So, have they? "If there was evidence of it, everyone in this room would probably know before I would," Girardi told reporters Monday afternoon. "I don't tweet, I'm not on social media, I don't see things. No, I don't believe there is anything but I would have been the last one to find out ... I want him to go six strong innings."
If Garcia was miffed about one side or another, the Yankees are hoping he stays that way. Garcia struck out nine and gave up only four hits. Judge put him ahead with a homer into the right-center field seats against Ervin Santana (15-8) in the second. But Judge bobbled Eduardo Escobar's single against Garcia in the top of the fifth, allowing Eddie Rosario to reach third. The latter scored an unearned run on a groundout, tying the score at 1.
Garcia was lifted two outs into the sixth, after Joe Mauer's single, and received an ovation. Fans behind the dugout stood for him as he walked off. Had he not allowed the hit and had he finished the inning, he would have been in position to secure his first win as a Yankee. That was because his team went ahead in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Chase Headley and Starlin Castro, a wild pitch by Santana and a sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier.
Instead, David Robertson (9-2) got the win, having retired all four batters he faced. Garcia had the consolation of helping his team win the opener of a big series that might be a preview.
