[7] With a 91–71 record, the Yankees finished in second place in the AL East, two games behind the division-winning Red Sox.

Their most recent meeting was in the 2010 American League Division Series in which the Yankees swept the Twins in three games.

[8] After allowing a single by Eduardo Escobar and a double by Max Kepler, Severino was relieved after only recording one out, marking the shortest appearance by a Yankees starting pitcher in postseason history.

[11] José Berríos relieved Santana (who had thrown 64 pitches in the first two innings) to start the bottom of the third, and the Yankees quickly pounced on the right-hander.

In the bottom of the fourth, rookie sensation Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run to extend the Yankee lead to 7–4.