This was not the postseason debut Aaron Civale imagined, but Yankees fans sure are happy with the results.
Civale, the Guardians right-hander, managed to record just one out — a strikeout of Aaron Judge — before departing in the first inning with his team down three runs. He walked Gleyber Torres and hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch, setting Giancarlo Stanton up for a line drive home run, and Josh Donaldson then knocked Civale out of the game with an infield single.
The southpaw Sam Hentges relieved Civale — two batters too late, perhaps — and stopped the rally despite inheriting a runner and walking Harrison Bader.