Yankees Appeared To Be On The Brink, Then Bullpen Buckled

 

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Yankees went out to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series, after they beat the Guardians handily at Yankee Stadium to open the series.

In Game 3 on Thursday evening, the Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Cleveland starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, when Jose Trevino, making his first start at catcher in place of Austin Wells, got an RBI single in the second inning.

Cleveland responded with a pair of runs in the third off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt when Kyle Manzardo blasted a two-run shot.

Boyd then settled in, and he allowed just that one run on two hits and three walks, with four strikeouts, in five innings, on just 75 pitches.

No matter, Cleveland went to their bullpen in the sixth, and even though they tacked on another run in the sixth, it felt inevitable what would soon happen.

With the top of the order coming up in the top of the eighth, Juan Soto drew a two-out walk that chased Hunter Gaddis from the game.

In came Cleveland's vaunted closer Emanuel Clase, who had coughed up a three-run gmae-winning homer to Detroit's Kerry Carpenter in Game 2 of the ALDS.

Clase was set to face Aaron Judge, who had a rough start to the playoffs, continuing his mystifying futility in the playoffs, until he hit a two-run shot late in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Judge took what Clase gave him, a cutter on the outside corner, and blasted it the other way to right field for a two-run shot to tie the game.

Then, the man who owns the playoffs, Giancarlo Stanton, hit a blast of his own to center field, and the Yankees were back on top, 4-3.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth, when closer Luke Weaver entered to face Jose Ramirez, who homered off him in Game 2, his only blemish in the potseason.

Ramirez bounced one to first base, and he reached on an error by Anthony Rizzo, who came on as a defensive replacement.

Weaver then got Josh Naylor to bounce into a double play before Lane Thomas doubled to keep the inning and game alive.

Cleveland then sent up Jhonkensy Noel as a pinch-hitter, and he channeled Sandy Alomar in 1997 when he blasted one to left for a two-run shot to tie it up at 5.

In the top of the 10th, the Yankees had the big boppers coming up, but Pedro Avila struck out Aaron Judge and walked Giancarlo Stanton. Then, Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to second base. Anthony Rizzo then was intentionally walked, and Anthony Vople struck out to end the frame.

The Yankees then had to turn to Clay Holmes, their former closer who has been superb in a set-up role. Naylor led off with a single, was bunted over to second by Brayan Rocchio before Steven Kwan bounced one back to Holmes.

Then, David Fry crushed one to deep left field for a two-run shot to give the Guardians the improbable 7-5 win.

The Yankees bullpen has been superb in these playoffs, but since a lot of them are pitching above their level, it seemed inevitable it would buckle at some point, reminding the Yankees of what their greatest weakness is now that they're up 2-1 in the ALCS.