It was as if Jose Trevino were trying to get everything out of the way in his postseason debut.
Potential jitters? Check. A misplay? Yep. A significant at-bat to drive in the go-ahead run? He had one of those, too.
The Yankees catcher had an up-and-down first playoff game, but the highs were more significant than the lows in the 4-1 victory over the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALDS on Tuesday night in The Bronx.
Trevino, who had played four seasons with poor Rangers teams before the trade that brought him to the Yankees, had never sniffed .500, much less true October baseball. If the 29-year-old was nervous, it may have shown early.
Jose Trevino hits a sac fly during the Yankees’ Game 1 win on Tuesday.Corey Sipkin In the top of the second inning, Gerrit Cole struck out Cleveland’s Will Brennan on a slider in the dirt. Trevino had to throw to first base to complete the out and bounced it, saved by Anthony Rizzo’s smooth pick in the dirt.
An inning later, Trevino could not get a throw off quickly enough. Cleveland had runners on second and third with one out for Josh Naylor, who grounded sharply to Rizzo. The first baseman saw Amed Rosario take off from third to home, so he threw to Trevino. Rosario was caught in between and darted back to third, and Trevino shuffled his feet and finally threw too late, getting no outs and allowing the bases to be loaded.
Josh Donaldson fielding an Oscar Gonzalez grounder and throwing home for the force out and Cole striking out Andres Gimenez ensured the misplay would not cost the Yankees.
Trevino found redemption in the fifth inning of a tie game. His former Rangers mate, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, had drilled a hit down the right-field line that Gonzalez botched, allowing Kiner-Falefa to reach third base with one out. Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill got ahead 0-2, but Trevino was able to get underneath a cutter for a long, sacrifice fly to center field to score the go-ahead run and knock in his first playoff run.
Trevino, who finished 0-for-2, is still seeking his first postseason hit, but he may have gotten everything else out of the way.
“I hear there’s nothing like it,” Trevino said before the game about postseason baseball in The Bronx. “I watched it on TV plenty of times, and I think I’m just going to take in the moment.”
