Major League Baseball

IT'S THAMES' TIME; BIG YANKEES MOMENT FINALLY ARRIVES

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

From the day Marcus Thames got drafted by the Yankees, as he worked his way through the minor leagues watching the big-league Bombers enjoy pinstriped, champagne-drenched glory, he dreamt of winning a World Series in the Bronx. His home run last night helped make his dream one step closer.

Thames, who was signed a non-roster invitee this year, crushed a two-run shot to right that helped the Yankees to a 6-1 win over Minnesota in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. They swept the Twins, turning them into a speedbump en route to the ALCS, and Thames looks to be breaking his late-season malaise just as the postseason heats up.

"It feels good for me because I came up as a Yankee. I was drafted by them when I was 19. I went away for a while, but I've always wanted a chance to come back and play for the Yankees in the playoffs," said Thames, called up in 2002 and dealt to Texas the next year. "I'd been in the minor leagues with them watching them win championships. It feels good; eight more wins and it'll feel even better."

In front of 50,840 - the largest crowd in the new Stadium's brief history - Thames had his greatest Yankees moment, doing exactly what he was brought to the Bronx to do: hit lefties. After Robinson Cano beat out a third-inning infield hit, Thames tagged the very next pitch from Brian Duensing over the wall in right field to put the Yanks up 4-0. The way the Twins played, it might as well have been 14-0.

"That's not shocking to me, because I know he's got the talent, and everybody in here knows he's capable of doing something like that," said Nick Swisher. "All you've got to do is look at the back of his baseball card and you know what this guy's capable of doing."

Thames' card says he doesn't always play a ton, but when he does he often hits it a ton. He's a streak hitter with power, and he'd been batting .320 through Aug. 29, but he'd been just 13-for-63 since, including 0-for-3 through the first two ALDS games. But he broke out in a big way.

The 33-year-old Thames, a steal on a $900,000 minor-league deal, hit half of his dozen homers in a six-game span from Aug. 24-30, with 11 RBI in just 21 at-bats. But it was last night's homer that proved his biggest.

Thames, who was such an afterthought manager Joe Girardi wasn't asked a single question about him this postseason, got the start at designated hitter and did what he has done all year - made the most of his opportunity.