The New York Yankees’ fans turned to social media to celebrate soon after the 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 of the American League Division Series. They hailed starting pitcher Gerrit Cole for his game-winning performance and contribution in helping the Yankees force Game 5 on the hosts.
The victory keeps the search for the Yankees alive for the 28th World Series title. The series is tied at two games each, so Game 5 will be played in New York on Monday.
The Yankees haven’t been to the Fall Classic since 2009. They gave the ball to Gerrit Cole to try to end their drought and get back to the World Series. It was a pressure situation for the starter, as the Yankees were on the brink of elimination and any mistake by him might lead to an outburst of anger. However, the ace nearly perfected the art of containing the Guardians and won the heart of fans on Sunday.
In seven clutch innings, Gerrit Cole struck out eight batters and let in six hits and two earned runs. He also won ALDS Game 1, which is the main reason why the Yankees are still in the series after four games.
Social media was full of praise for Gerrit Cole’s performance:
However, it wasn’t just a one-man show. In the first inning, Anthony Rizzo hit a single that led to a run. In the second, Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer to give the team a lead and some much-needed breathing room.
Jose Ramrez’s RBI single in the third and Josh Naylor’s solo home run in the fourth helped Cleveland score against Gerrit Cole, but the right-hander kept the damage to a minimum, in part because Ramrez was thrown out when he tried to run too far from the base on the turn of his single.
Giancarlo Stanton‘s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning after Aaron Judge singled and Rizzo doubled relieved some of the burdens on the bullpen, and Clay Holmes followed with a shutout eighth before Wandy Peralta closed the door in the ninth.
How was the Yankees’ performance on Sunday? Will they win the ALDS Game 5?
