The New York Yankees are 2-0 up in the AL Championship Series following their 6-3 win against the Cleveland Guardians, with Aaron Judge scoring his first home run of the postseason. Judge managed to secure his 14th career postseason home run during the significant two-run drive into Monument Park. The Yankees initially took a lead of 3-0 as a result of a sacrifice fly in the second round. Despite struggling early on, Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee and the unpredictable Gerrit Cole managed to make indirect contributions to the victory.
Under performances from lead players Bibee and Cole were overshadowed by solid performances from Winner Clay Homes, Tim Hill, and Tommy Kahnle, who combined their efforts to deliver 3 2/3 scoreless innings during the game. The bullpen maintained good form, allowing only one run in 23 1/3 innings. The Guardians’ José Ramírez managed to hit a ninth-inning home run off Luke Weaver, but it was insufficient to impact the overall result, despite being only the second run allowed by New York’s bullpen in six postseason games.
Game 3 of the series will take place on Thursday in Cleveland, following a day’s break. The Yankees have gained the 2-0 lead in the ALCS for the first time since their win against the Los Angeles Angels in 2009. The Guardians will be looking to recoup following their second loss, with defense errors noted as a decisive factor in the most recent game.
The Guardians experienced significant defensive errors during the match with rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio and right fielder Will Brennan, both making run-score mistakes. Anthony Volpe used the bungles to his advantage, sprinting home after Brennan’s bobbled ball and Rocchio’s dropped popup. Yankees’ performances were steadier, Torres managed three hits and Anthony Rizzo made significant contributions, chalking up two hits and a 3-for-7 tally in two games.
Despite impressive individual performances from Stephen Kwan’s Cleveland-record 12 game hitting streak and Alex Verdugo’s RBI double in the two-run second, Cleveland struggled overall. The team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners stranded. The team will likely need to improve this performance to stand a chance in the next game.
In preparation for game 3, the Guardians have replaced Alex Cobb, who strained his back in the opener, with Ben Lively. The Yankees plan to start RHP Clarke Schmidt, who previously allowed the Guardians two runs in their 3-2 victory earlier this season. Despite losing a 2-0 lead before New York’s 3-2 win, Schmidt managed to pitch five scoreless innings.
