Unsung Yankees Game 2 hero turned Aaron Boone's nightmare into bullpen masterclass

From 2009 to present, every New York Yankees fan has sought hints of something special during the postseason by trying to draw a parallel to that October's dominant flash of lightning. Each fall, we try to grade playoff runs by one unique rubric: "Is anyone having a Damaso Marte moment?"

Marte, of course, was a massive bust, a lefty reliever acquired by the Yankees in the 2008 Xavier Nady/Jeff Karstens/Jose Tabata swap, then re-signed that offseason after posting a 3.47 ERA in 47 games with Pittsburgh and a 5.40 mark in 18 1/3 innings with the '08 Yankees. They brought him back after the season because surely, there must've been more than had initially met the eye.

As Jerry Seinfeld once said about Newman, though, "No, there's less." Marte was even worse in 2009, barely contributing enough value to maintain access to a uniform. Somehow, he survived the entire season (21 appearances worth) with a 9.45 ERA and made the playoff roster (because, it seemed, the Yankees still had not lost faith).

They were correct to bet on Marte's talent. He appeared once in the ALDS, allowing two hits and retiring zero batters. But in the ALCS against the Angels, he went 1 1/3 perfect frames in three games. In the World Series against Philadelphia, he struck out five men in 2 2/3 perfect innings, whiffing Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to record two huge outs in the clinching Game 6.

On Tuesday night in Game 2 of the ALCS, Yankees left-hander Tim Hill began his Damaso Marte arc in earnest, though one could argue that the Yanks already Marte'd him this summer when his season turned around in the wake of being DFA'd by the lowly White Sox. In Chicago, Hill posted a 5.87 ERA in 21 games (though he forged a lot of strong relationships, according to his postgame interview on Tuesday). In New York, he pitched to a 2.05 mark in 44 innings, thriving under the three-batter minimum that would've rendered Marte even more irrelevant.

Yankees reliever Tim Hill covered five extremely important outs in ALCS Game 2

The Marte parallels began with ALCS Game 1, though, when Hill entered with a 5-1 lead and attempted to save the bullpen, but instead allowed three hits and one run, getting in the middle of an obstruction call and creating a mess for Luke Weaver.

But, in Game 2, with Aaron Boone's back firmly against the wall and Clay Holmes already used mid-disaster, he had to find a way to get a one-run lead from the sixth through the ninth. Insurance? Who could possibly assume insurance? Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase and four other relievers the Guardians berthed from a cherry tree on Tuesday morning were looming! No, this had to get held right here, preferably without the use of Weaver. Impossible, but also necessary.

And in came Hill, no pressure, against Brayan Rocchio (hitting .400+ this postseason), Steven Kwan (hitting .400+ this postseason), and Kyle Manzardo. No matter: strikeout (Hill had only 31 in 67 innings during the regular season), lineout, groundout.

The Yankees actually scored (!) in the sixth (though they made it feel impossible), so ... why not? More Tim Hill. Go ahead and get Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor, why don't you? No problem, sir. I'll do it quickly.

All told, Hill covered five outs more simply than Tommy Kahnle covered four or Weaver covered the final three. Paired with Holmes, he defused the Guardians' efforts after looking exceedingly hittable in Game 1, carrying the contest safely towards the finish line. Who knows whether Hill will be Marte or Graeme Lloyd or some other newfound derivation? All we know is that the Yankees wouldn't be two wins away from a World Series berth without his guidance, and that his high-pressure heartbeat seems impervious to his Game 1 struggles. Give him the ball.