Yankees 16 inning win is exactly what they needed

It may have taken almost six hours, but the Yankees turned back the clock to remind us that there’s still some fight left in this bunch, knocking off the first place Red Sox in 16 innings.

Saturday night’s 4-1 marathon win in Boston underlined the one thing the Yankees have been previously missing: perseverance.

Just one night after Aroldis Chapman blew a crucial 9th inning lead after he was unable to secure a single out, the bullpen looked much less like the one that leads the majors in blown saves with 18.

Buoyed by a stellar performance by AL All-Star Luis Severino — who basically went pitch for pitch with Red Sox starter Chris Sale, Severino tossed seven innings of one run ball, striking out six and only walking two, before Tyler Clippard, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren held the line.

Although, Chasen Shreve did all he could to jeopardize the tie game — allowing two hits in the 10th inning.

Running out of relievers he trusts, manager Joe Girardi turned the ball over to Jonathan Holder, who only recently returned from Triple-A. For three scoreless frames, Holder showed the poise of tried and true veteran hurler.

Then it was back to Chapman, who worked around a leadoff walk in the 14th inning to recover some semblance of confidence, tossing 15 pitches before giving way to another rookie, Ben Heller.

Acquired as part of last season’s Andrew Miller trade, Heller and his new No. 41 struck out three batters in two innings for the win.

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As for the offense, had it not been for Matt Holliday‘s ninth inning blast over the Green Monster, tying the game at 1-1, the Yankees would have never been able to show off their new-found resilience.

Out since June 24 with a viral infection, the 37-year-old cleanup hitter did exactly what he was signed to — to pull this club up by the boot straps when it needs it the most. Slamming a 1-1 fastball off of Craig Kimbrel, who’s allowed all of four hits to right-handed hitters this season is one of those surreal moments in a season that rallies the troops.

Holliday spoke to The New York Post following the game:

“He’s got a really good fastball,” Holliday said of Kimbrel. “I was just trying to stay on the fastball and put a good swing on a fastball. I caught it, luckily.”

Even the much-maligned Jacoby Ellsbury did all he could to remind Yankee fans why he was signed back in 2014 — to get on base. His leadoff double in the top of the 16th would go on to be the winning run when Didi Gregorius slapped a line drive to centerfield.

On a night where Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier and the invisible man known as the Yanks’ first baseman struggled to hold their own, the collective destiny of a playoff caliber team was truly tested.

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For one very long game, the Yankees proved themselves worthy of such a moniker. But as we know, in baseball you’re only as good as your last game. So Sunday’s doubleheader will be yet another test of this club’s mental and physical fortitude.