The Yankees wouldn't have been in that position had they not produced another in a long line of big comebacks this season. They had a major league record 61 in the regular season and nine of them came after they trailed by at least four runs.
When Sheffield walked to the plate leading off the eighth against Juan Rincon, he heard Torre yell from the bench.
Alex Rodriguez, left, and Derek Jeter celebrate after the Yankees finished off the Twins by winning three straight games for the second year in a row. Next up: the Boston Red Sox.
(Ann Heisenfelt -- AP)
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"I heard Skip yelling, 'Just get one run at a time,' " Sheffield said. "I just knew in my head that if we score one run, we could score others."
Sheffield was right. He reached on an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Hideki Matsui walked, Bernie Williams singled to center to drive home Sheffield.
Sierra was next and he worked the count to 2-2 before walloping a hanging curve on the outer half of the plate. "I wasn't trying to hit a home run," Sierra said. "But I knew if I hit it good, it would go out."
Sierra's shot landed on the closed seats above the wall in right-center that resembles a gigantic baggie. When Sierra hit it, Derek Jeter's first thought was, "Don't hit the baggie."
Fortunately for the Yankees, it did not.
"I wanted to hug everybody," Sheffield said.
Sheffield and the rest of the Yankees had a chance to do that a few innings later, after yet another classic for a franchise that seems to specialize in them.
"You think you've never seen another game like it," Torre said, "and then all of a sudden, another one pops up."
