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NEW YORK – Before the Yankees celebrated their lucky 6-5 playoff-opening win over the Kansas City Royals, who made the more costly missteps…

Let's reintroduce Luke Weaver, the pinstripe October surprise you didn't know you needed.

A year ago, Weaver posted a 6.87 ERA as a starter for the Cincinnati Reds.

A month ago, after developing into a valuable setup player, Weaver was on the verge of stepping into the closer's void – not an ideal time for a win-now club trying to win the AL East.

Any ideas about a bullpen by committee were shelved by Weaver, who later became a committee of one and completed Game 1 of the best-of-five AL Division Series.

After 10 years in the big leagues, Weaver was asked if he was a fit for the role.

“Well, it’s certainly not my size,” said Weaver, a right-hander with the wry stance of an often-centered left-hander. “Although I feel like toughness is a very strong underlying trait.”

The Yankees stumble but survive due to mistakes by the Royals

Weaver's nice four-out save came with three strikeouts – including Bobby Witt Jr., who somehow went 0-for-5 at Yankee Stadium, where 48,790 fans were supposed to get free Dramamine tablets.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole didn't have it, Aaron Judge (0-for-4, 3 Ks) was absent from the plate, but Royals manager Matt Quatraro was left to regret his decision to bring in Michael Wacha in the fifth.

On the Yankees' side, Aaron Boone made the right calls starting Oswaldo Cabrera at first base and Alex Verdugo at left base, with Verdugo delivering the final go-ahead RBI single in the seventh.

“I understand it. I booed myself too,” said Verdugo (2-3, walk), whose offensive numbers have been under water all summer, inviting rookie Jasson Dominguez to chat in left field.

Luke Weaver channels his inner Mariano Rivera

Jazz Chisholm Jr., a frequent flyer on team charter alongside Weaver, had mentioned that Weaver was “built for this moment” and started Saturday with a runner on first base in the eighth.

Less than a month after his first big-league save — a moment in which he said he blacked out — the 31-year-old Weaver was eliminated as KC's league leader in the ninth game.

Weaver got Michael Massey to swing on a changeup, caught Witt Jr. looking at a tight 96 mph fastball from full pitch, and got Vinnie Pasquantino to go to ground on a changeup.

“This is his time, this is what he's made for,” said Chisholm Jr., who has seen Weaver's behavior on the diamond and when he's holding diamonds.

These in-flight card games can also be extremely competitive, and “I'm a bad, visible shudder of my losses,” Weaver said, although he appreciated Chisholm Jr.'s comments.

“Jazz had a lot of really nice things to say,” Weaver said. “I wish he would say that to my face, our friendship would really take a leap.”

ALDS Game 1 is a narrow victory for the Yankees

Cole felt the Royals were “at their best against him” and that “I made a lot of mistakes, that's for sure.” Needs to be sharper.

“But they also threw some really good pitches in the game,” including MJ Melendez's two-run home run in the fourth.

Kansas City can still get out of the Bronx with a split as Cole Ragans faces Carlos Rodon on Monday night after a head-shattering day built into the AL playoff schedule.

But they could complain about his inability to steal a single hit against Cole, who wasn't at his best, and about third-base coach Vance Wilson's more than questionable effort in throwing Salvador Perez to the plate – that first out in the second inning.

Gleyber Torres (two-run homer, two walks) and Juan Soto (3-for-5, throwing Perez from right field) performed, Austin Wells – a .111 hitter in September – caught Judge with a two- Out game off -tying RBI single in the sixth.

And perhaps Chisholm Jr. was out in the seventh trying to grab second place, but the Yanks survived that replay challenge and Verdugo came through with the game-winner.

And the baseball for Weaver's first career save is already in a box, with the date and score.

“It means a lot to me,” Weaver said. “It’s everything you dream of, it’s definitely all the clichés in one.”

On By John Fenwick

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