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| Austin Wells rounding the bases on his home run. @Yankees. |
The Yankees, backed by home runs from Juan Soto, Austin Wells, and their new Mr. October, Giancarlo Stanton, outlasted the Cleveland Guardians, 8-6, in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night.
The Yankees are now just one win away from making their long-awaited return to the World Series and claiming their 40th pennant.
With Gavin Williams starting for Cleveland, Gleyber Torres got it started like he has all postseason by getting on base with a single.
Soto followed up with a blast to center field for a two-run homer to put the Yankees up 2-0.
Cleveland responded against Yankees starter Luis Gil in the bottom of the first when Steven Kwan walked, followed by a double from Kyle Manzardo. Jose Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Kwan, and Gil retired the next two to get out of it.
Then, in the top of the second, Austin Wells, who was benched for Game 3, made his presence felt immediately by hitting a solo home run to center field to make it 3-1.
Cleveland got one back in the third when Kwan singled, stole second, and scored on a single from Josh Naylor.
Gil kept it right there, and pitched a scoreless fourth before he exited. His final line was: 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.
With Cade Smith on for Cleveland in the sixth, the Yankees got some separation. Soto led off with a walk, and Aaron Judge singled before Jazz Chisholm Jr. bunted them over.
Stanton was up next, and he did what we come to expect him to do: blasting one to left-center field for a three-run shot to make it 6-2 Yankees. This was his fourth homer of the playoffs, along with nine RBI, plus a .300 average and an absurd 1.167 OPS.
Jake Cousins entered for the Yankees in the bottom of the sixth, where he worked around an Andres Gimenez single.
The right-hander remained on for the seventh, which opened with a walk to Brayan Rocchio and a single to Kwan.
Clay Holmes, who did well in the postseason until he surrendered the game-winning home run in Game 3, was next out of the bullpen.
David Fry, who hit that walk-off homer, struck out this time, but Holmes then surrendered an RBI double to Jose Ramirez and then a two-run double to Josh Naylor to cut the Yankees' lead to 6-5.
Lane Thomas walked, and that was all for Holmes. The Yankees turned to Mark Leiter Jr., who was added to the roster on Friday morning with Ian Hamilton suffering an injury in Game 3.
Leiter got Jhonkensy Noel, who hit the game-tying homer on Thursday night, to hit one into the left field corner that was hauled in by Alex Verdugo. Gimenez then struck out to end the frame.
In the eighth, with Leiter still on the mound, allowed a leadoff double to Bo Naylor, and he came around to score on a single by Fry to tie it at 6.
Cleveland went to their closer Emmanuel Clase for the ninth, and Anthony Rizzo greeted him with a single. Jon Berti went in to run for him, and he raced to third on a single from Anthony Volpe.
After Wells struck out, Alex Verdugo bounced one to shortstop that Rocchio made an error on, allowing Berti to score and make it 7-6 Yankees.
They tacked on another run when Torres got an RBI single, and they suddenly had a two-run lead.
Instead of going to closer Luke Weaver, the Yankees turned to Tommy Kahnle, and he worked around a one-out walk to Noel and a bloop single by Gimenez by getting Bo Naylor to fly out to center field on the first pitch, and Rocchio bounced one to second base that Berti bobbled, but had plenty of time to complete the out.
The Yankees will be sending Carlos Rodon, who won Game 1, to the mound looking to close it out on Saturday night in Game 5.
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