The American League Championship Series picks up in Cleveland with the New York Yankees up 2-0 on the Cleveland Guardians after their big bats jumped all over the AL Central champs in the first two games in the Bronx. Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto both hit home runs in the 5-2 Game 1 win, and then Aaron Judge went deep in New York’s 6-3 win in Game 2. The Yankees haven’t been to the World Series since 2009, and they’re halfway to their 41st AL pennant in the 2024 ALCS.
With the series now in the Midwest, the Guardians have an opportunity to get back in the series on home turf, where they’ve been good all year. At 50-30, Cleveland had the best regular-season home record in the American League. Also, the Guardians took two of three games at Progressive Field in the ALDS against the Tigers.
The Yankees have starter Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 K 1 BB in 2024 postseason) on the mound for his second start of the playoffs against Matthew Boyd, who hasn’t allowed a run in his two postseason outings (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP 10, K 3 BB) for the Guardians.
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Boyd got handshakes and hugs in the dugout, so that should do it for him. His final line: five innings, two hits, one run, three walks, four strikeouts.
Pretty good for a guy who underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2022 season and joined Cleveland in June.
That’s 10 batters put down in a row for Matthew Boyd, who is at 75 pitches through five innings. The Guardians could go to their bullpen now or let the hot hand ride.
Important: Boyd is on his third time through the order, with Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due up next inning.
Rocchio grounds out on the second pitch. Still 2-1 Guardians.
Austin Hedges, playing in place of Bo Naylor at catcher, contributes a two-out double in the fourth. Guardians again threatening with Brayan Rocchio batting.
Matthew Boyd works another 1-2-3 inning for the Guardians, and he’s now at 67 pitches through four innings. With the Guardians’ dominant bullpen lined up, they probably need just another inning or two from him.
Anthony Volpe flashes his Gold Glove and saves a run with a great play to end the inning. It’s still a Guardians lead in a must-win game.
Jose Ramirez finished a homer short of a 40-40 season this year, and he goes for a stolen base at second with two outs. He was initially called safe, a ruling that survives a challenge from the Yankees.
Guardians 2, Yankees 1
The Guardians take the lead on Kyle Manzardo’s first career postseason homer. That was a big one.
And now a 1-2-3 inning for Boyd after a rocky first two innings. Pretty big against Soto, Judge and Stanton.
Schmidt follows the run with a six-pitch 1-2-3 inning, which featured a mildly controversial play on which Andrés Giménez ran into Jon Berti at first base as he was thrown out.
Torress flies out to left. The Yankees got on the board, but that could have been much worse for Cleveland.
And then Trevino gets picked off and caught in a rundown! This is suddenly less scary for the Guardians, who don’t have to face Juan Soto if they can get Torres here.
Yankees 1, Guardians 0
Trevino comes through with an opposite-field single after the Guardians play infield in. That scores one runner, leaving runners on the corners for Torres.
Oh boy, Matthew Boyd now in trouble after walking Anthony Volpe and allowing a base hit to Alex Verdugo. It looked like the Guardians might have thrown out Verdugo as he tried to stretch a double, but second base umpire Jansen Visconti ruled that Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio blocked him at second.
Now it’s two runners in scoring position and one out with Jose Trevino and Gleyber Torres due up.
Schmidt escapes with a strikeout of José Ramírez and groundouts by Josh Naylor and Lane Thomas. Both teams got two baserunners in the first inning but no runs.
Steven Kwan gets his own leadoff walk against Clarke Schmidt, then a bloop single by Kyle Manzardo. Guardians have two on with none out to open the bottom of the first.
Boyd works around walks of Torres and Giancarlo Stanton to post a scoreless first inning, finishing with a strikeout of Jazz Chisholm. That’s one pass through the potent top of the Yankees lineup.
Aaron Judge entered today hitting 3-for-18 with six strikeouts this postseason, and he starts with a three-pitch strikeout. All swinging strikes. Pretty good from Boyd.
Lane Thomas rescues the Guardians from a two-on, no-out situation to open the game with a great sliding catch while fighting the sun in center field. Torres reached base with a walk.
Matthew Boyd fires a first-pitch changeup to Gleyber Torres, and we’re off.
