The New York Yankees on Friday scratched out two runs in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase as they bounced back from a gut-wrenching loss a day earlier to beat the Cleveland Guardians 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
New York broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth as shortstop Brayan Rocchio booted Alex Verdugo’s RBI grounder for an error and Gleyber Torres followed with a run-scoring single.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer, Juan Soto had a two-run, first-inning shot and Austin Wells also connected for the Yankees, who can advance to their 41st World Series — and first since 2009 — with by winning Game 5.
Photo: AP
Just 24 hours after leaving Progressive Field wondering what went wrong, the Yankees showed resiliency.
“Not surprised with these guys,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously last night was a really tough loss. And whatever happened today, win, lose or draw, there’s no doubt in my mind we’d come out ready to roll, ready to turn the page.”
“Not a perfect game, but a gritty, tough, winning game,” Boone added.
Photo: EPA-EFE
It was a messy ninth for Clase (0-2) as the MLB’s best reliever faltered for the second night in a row.
New York got three singles in the ninth off the right-hander, who gave up back-to-back homers in the eighth inning of Game 3, but got bailed out when the Guardians hit two-run homers in the ninth and 10th.
He was not as lucky this time as New York’s bullpen bent, but did not break.
Photo: AFP
“I haven’t been able to execute my pitches,” Clase said through an interpreter. “Credit to them because they’ve been able to execute their at-bats.”
The Guardians are facing elimination in the post-season for the second time. They rallied in the ALDS to get past the Detroit Tigers and have to win three straight, including two at Yankee Stadium, to have any chance of ending their 76-year World Series drought.
“We’re going to show up ready to win,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. “That’s who these guys are. Our backs are against the wall, we play our best baseball. We don’t quit. This team has no quit in it. It hasn’t all year long.”
Photo: AFP
For the second straight night, the Yankees relievers struggled in high-leverage situations. The Guardians scored three in the seventh, one in the eighth and threatened in the ninth, putting two runners on.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to Tommy Kahnle — and not closer Luke Weaver — for the final three outs and the right-hander put away Cleveland by throwing 18 pitches, all changeups.
Stanton’s 123m drive in the sixth inning off rookie Cade Smith put the Yankees ahead 6-2. Stanton has seven career post-season hits against Cleveland, all home runs.
Photo: AFP
After Cleveland closed to 6-5 in the seventh, rookie Jhonkensy Noel sent a shiver through the ballpark when he flied out to the warning track with a man on. Noel’s pinch-hit, ninth-inning homer had tied Game 3.
The Guardians tied the score in the eighth when the Yankees botched an easy play in the infield, yet another of their fielding and baserunning miscues.
Bo Naylor doubled and moved up on an infield grounder. Mark Leiter Jr (1-0) got Steven Kwan to pop up. Leiter appeared to get out of the inning when David Fry hit a slow grounder to the right side.
Leiter charged the ball on the grass, knocked it down and scooped the ball barehanded as he neared the foul line toward first. His low flip to first went through Anthony Rizzo’s legs for an error as Naylor scored.
Stanton, who hit back-to-back homers with Aaron Judge in the eighth inning Thursday, gave the Yankees a four-run lead with his 15th career post-season homer.
Smith, dominant during the regular season, walked Soto leading off the sixth. Judge singled and Stanton drove a 1-2 fastball into the bleachers where a sizeable contingent of Yankees fans were waiting for it to land.
“I was in the zone and I got behind in the count,” Smith said. “I guess I threw what he was looking for.”
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