NEW YORK — Didi Gregorius’ three-run homer tied the score after the Minnesota Twins chased Luis Severino in the first inning, a pumped-up Aaron Judge hit a two-run shot in his postseason debut and the New York Yankees were rescued by their brilliant bullpen during an 8-4 victory in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night.

Brett Gardner also homered for the Yankees, who knocked out Ervin Santana after two innings, won their first postseason game in five years and once again eliminated the Twins from the playoffs.

Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run relief.

New York opens the best-of-five AL Division Series on Thursday at Cleveland. The Twins lost their 13th consecutive postseason game, tying the record set by Boston from 1986-95.

The game got off to a wild start.

The Twins and Yankees took 45 minutes to play the first inning of Tuesday night’s AL wild-card game, heading to the second tied at 3 in a frantic, seesaw start to this year’s postseason.

Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario homered for Minnesota to help chase New York ace Luis Severino after just one out, but the Yankees got all those runs back on a three-run shot from Didi Gregorius in the bottom half.

The first inning included 81 pitches, seven full counts, two mound visits and a historic pitching change.

Severino matched the shortest start by a Yankees pitcher in postseason history — joining Art Ditmar (three earned runs) from Game 1 of the 1960 World Series and Bob Turley (four earned runs) in Game 2 of the 1958 World Series.