New York Yankees 5, Cleveland Guardians 6
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians took a 2-1 lead in their American League Division Series thanks to a two-run single by rookie Oscar Gonzalez with two outs in the ninth inning of their game against the New York Yankees on Saturday night.
Gonzalez, who had been a hero earlier in the playoffs, hit a 1-2 pitch from Clarke Schmidt through the middle, allowing rookies Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario to score. The young Guardians, who have shown no fear during this storybook season, came back again and pushed the Yankees to the edge of elimination.
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer for New York, which had a 5-3 lead going into the ninth before its bullpen failed and the Guardians pulled off another comeback win.
As Rosario crossed home plate, Gonzalez stood near first base and threw his helmet high into the air as his teammates ran onto the field to mob him. Last week, in the wild-card round, the 24-year-old outfielder hit a walk-off home run in the 15th inning to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sunday night is Game 4, and if the Yankees don’t use their best pitcher, Gerrit Cole, they could be out of the playoffs early.
Before Cleveland’s comeback, the Yankees were 167-0 in the playoffs when they had a lead of more than two runs going into the ninth inning.
Judge hit a huge home run that scored two runs, and Cabrera and Harrison Bader also hit home runs for New York.
Judge’s 449-foot home run off Triston McKenzie in the third inning was his first hit in the series after 10 at-bats. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. The Yankees needed a spark, and the most feared slugger in baseball gave them one.
The Guardians led the major leagues with 29 wins in their last at-bat this season, and they have now done it twice in a week, with Gonzalez getting the game-winning hit both times.
Gonzalez walks up to the plate while the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme song plays, which is a good choice for baseball’s youngest team.
Myles Straw hit a single off Wandy Peralta with one out in the ninth. He ran to second when left fielder Oswaldo Cabrera missed the ball when he dove for it. Then Kwan hit a single to left, and the Yankees’ manager, Aaron Boone, sent in Schmidt.
Rosario then hit a single that drove in a run to make the score 5-4. José Ramrez then threw a ball to the open left side, but shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa stopped it with a slide, stopping the tying run from scoring.
Schmidt then threw three pitches that got Josh Naylor out. Then, Gonzalez had his second big moment of October.
There is trouble for the Yankees. They had 15 fewer hits than the other team, and when they try to force Game 5 of the best-of-five series back to Yankee Stadium on Monday, the other team will have all the momentum.
But the Yankees’ bullpen, which has been hurt and hasn’t been reliable, couldn’t hold on to the lead. Boone also didn’t have Aroldis Chapman, who missed a workout and was left off the postseason team.
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Cole won Game 1 after he gave up one run and four hits over 6 and a half innings.
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