The Cleveland Guardians are still waiting to start the American League Championship Series after the New York Yankees won Game 2, putting them two wins away from their first pennant since 2009. The game was not the pitcher’s duel that was expected, with Gerrit Cole only recording one out in the fifth inning. New York took an early lead with Aaron Judge’s pop-up being dropped, leading to the first run of the game. The Guardians did manage to load the bases and score a run in the fifth inning, making it a 3-2 game, but the Yankees extended their lead with a two-run home run by Judge in the seventh inning. Four relievers combined for strong bullpen work, allowing just one run and securing the win.
Game 3 of the series will take place in Cleveland, with the Yankees leading 2-0. The Guardians will need to win two of the three games at home to force the series back to New York and ultimately win four of the next five games to advance to the World Series. Judge’s performance in Game 2 was crucial as he had been struggling in the postseason, hitting just .118 in October. However, he delivered a key hit with his two-run home run to extend the Yankees’ lead. The series now moves to Cleveland, where the Guardians will look to bounce back and get their first win of the series.
Despite the early lead by the Yankees, the Guardians managed to make it a close game with a small ball approach in the fifth inning, loading the bases and scoring a run. However, missed opportunities on the bases by the Yankees in the sixth inning prevented them from scoring more runs. The strong performance by the Yankees bullpen limited the Guardians’ offense, with Jose Ramirez’s solo home run in the ninth inning being the only earned run allowed by the relievers in October. The Guardians will need to regroup and come back strong in Game 3 to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
The New York Yankees have put themselves in a strong position to win the American League Championship Series after their Game 2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. With a two-game lead, the Yankees are now just two wins away from securing their first pennant since 2009. Judge’s clutch performance in Game 2 was a key factor in the win, as he delivered a much-needed two-run home run in the seventh inning. The Yankees’ bullpen also played a crucial role, shutting down the Guardians’ offense and only allowing one earned run in the ninth inning.
The series will now shift to Cleveland for Game 3, where the Guardians will look to turn things around and get their first win of the series. Cleveland will need to win two of the three games at home to force a Game 6 back in New York and ultimately win four of the final five games to advance to the World Series. The Guardians will need to regroup and come up with a strong game plan to overcome the Yankees’ two-game lead and keep their postseason hopes alive. Game 3 is set to take place on Thursday at 5:08 p.m. ET, with the Yankees sending Clarke Schmidt to the mound and Cleveland’s starter yet to be named.
