Gleyber Torres mimics Josh Naylor's rock-the-baby taunt, savors 'revenge'

NEW YORK — While tapping second base to record the game-ending forceout that clinched the American League Division Series for the New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres added a motion that had just become all the rave at Yankee Stadium.

Torres cradled his arms together in a mocking, rocking-the-baby motion, while glaring at Josh Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians dugout.

In that moment, Torres thought back to what he had witnessed from his position in the Progressive Field infield the game before — and remembered the feeling of disrespect.

«We got our revenge. We're happy to beat those guys. Now they can watch on TV the next series for us,'' Torres said amid a champagne celebration in the Yankee clubhouse after New York polished off a 5-1 victory in Tuesday night's decisive Game 5. „It's nothing personal. Just a little thing about revenge.''

Little could Naylor have known that he had served up — silver-platter style — an added, unexpected jolt of inspiration in the Yankees' quest to extend their postseason.

After homering in the fourth inning of Sunday's Game 4 in Cleveland, Naylor made the rocking-the-baby motion repeatedly while giddily rounding the bases and taunting Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. He even referred to Cole as his “son» during his jog to home plate.

Much like Torres, the 48,178 fans who filled Yankee Stadium on Tuesday didn't forget that post-homer display. They greeted Naylor with a familiar earful — a phrase that first rang out across the street at the old Yankee Stadium in 2004.

«Who's your daddy?»

While he went 0-for-4 with one hard-hit, rally-stalling lineout, Naylor ultimately relished the experience of playing Bronx villain.

«That was awesome. That was so sick,» Naylor said of the fans'