The Jays defeated the New York Yankees 5-2 on Wednesday night to stamp their ticket for a best-of-seven ALCS playoff matchup against the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners, starting Sunday in Canada at Rogers Centre.
Having blown a five-run lead at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday to fumble a potential sweep, the AL East champions returned to the Bronx to take care of business and progress with a 3-1 series win.
Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and DH George Springer each drove in a run earlier in the game before outfielder Nathan Lukes provided a two-run single in the top of the seventh to put the Blue Jays up 4-1. Eight Toronto pitchers combined to keep the Yankees in check offensively with Jeff Hoffman retiring New York catcher Austin Wells with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth to effectively ice the game.
“I feel amazing,” Guerrero Jr. told MLB after sealing the Blue Jays’ ticket to the ALCS.
“I feel so good. We played for this, and I feel so good. I don’t have the words to say how I feel right now.”
The Blue Jays celebrate wildly in the locker room after victory over the New York Yankees sends them to first ALCS in nine years. Credit: Ishika Samant / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
Toronto overjoyed, but Judge’s dreams dashed again
The Blue Jays now wait to see the outcome of the decisive Tigers vs. Mariners Game 5 clash in Seattle on Friday but can get excited for their first trip to the Championship Series since 2016.
Toronto will be hoping to flip the script this time around, having been comprehensively beaten in five games by the then-named Cleveland Indians. Do that, and they can start dreaming of a third World Series title to add to the back-to-back triumphs in 1992 and 1993.
“We’ve wanted to win a World Series our entire careers,” said Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who was spotted jogging at Yankee Stadium ahead of Wednesday’s win having been out injured since early September.
“We’re not there yet, but this is a huge step. It’s a blessing to be part of this group.”
For the Yankees, following last season’s fall at the final hurdle, the wait for a 28th World Series title will tick over to at least 17 years.
Team captain Aaron Judge went down swinging in a deflating end to another stellar individual season – yet again with no World Series ring to complete his glittering cabinet of accolades.
“That’s sports. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen, and he (Judge) and I wholeheartedly believe that it will,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
“You keep working your tail off to get back to this position and punch through.”
New York’s Aaron Judge is still chasing a first World Series ring. Credit: Al Bello / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
Wednesday’s Division Series results
Winners in bold
New York Yankees 2 – 5 Toronto Blue Jays (Toronto wins ALDS series 3-1)
Seattle Mariners 3 – 9 Detroit Tigers (ALDS series tied 2-2)
Philadelphia Phillies 8 – 2 Los Angeles Dodgers (LA leads NLDS series 2-1)
Milwaukee Brewers 3 – 4 Chicago Cubs (Milwaukee leads NLDS series 2-1)
(CNN) — The New York Yankees’ offense exploded Tuesday night after struggling through the first three games of the World Series, using three home runs to stave off elimination at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4in Game 4, spoiling a historic night for Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman Freddie Freeman. The Bronx Bombers’ 11 runs were more than the team had scored in the prior three contests combined.
Down 2-1 in the third inning, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, a New York native playing for his childhood team, hit a go-ahead grand slam off Daniel Hudson that made the score 5-2. It was a lead the Yankees wouldn’t give up.
After the game, Volpe was asked about the grand slam.
“I think I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence. We just want to keep putting pressure on them and I think everyone had confidence in everyone in the lineup that someone was going to get the big hit,” Volpe said.
“We’ve been having such good at-bats and putting such good swings on the ball, that we just felt like it was only a matter of time.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was happy for the fans following Volpe’s slam.
“I was just glad because it felt like the fans were so ready to erupt last night, and we just got behind and couldn’t punch things in. It’s like you finally got to see the top blow off Yankee Stadium in a World Series game,” Boone told reporters.
“When Anthony hits that ball, it was like fun to see Yankee Stadium erupt. It’s like they’ve been waiting for 48 hours to do that. Then just the way the game went on and on, it was just the energy, the noise, the excitement. It was Yankee Stadium World Series game.”
The Dodgers now lead the series three games to one. Los Angeles has another opportunity to clinch the franchise’s eighth championship on Wednesday when the two teams play Game 5 in New York.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team will be ready.
“I think that they beat us. Volpe took a good swing. They took advantage of a couple free passes. They tacked on later,” Roberts said afterwards. “I think we could have done some things to get in their pen a little bit earlier.
“Again, at the end of the day, we’re still in a pretty good spot, and we feel good. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
The contest started off promisingly for the visitors when Freeman continued his hot World Series run.
The first baseman set a World Series record after homering in his sixth consecutive Fall Classic game. Freeman hit a two-run homer off Yankees starter Luis Gil in the first inning to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. He finished 1-4 with three RBI.
Freeman homered in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Houston Astros. On Monday, he tied Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to hit a homer in five straight games.
The 35-year-old is the first player to homer and have at least 10 RBIs in the first four games of a World Series.
The Dodgers would score two in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4, whittling down the lead provided by Volpe’s slam. But in the sixth, Yankees catcher Austin Wells connected on a solo homer to extend New York’s lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Volpe once again provided the heroics – this time with his speed. He turned a single into a double with his wheels before stealing third base. When left fielder Alex Verdugo hit a sharp ground ball to second base, Volpe sprinted for home and his head first slide beat the tag from catcher Will Smith to make the game 7-4.
One batter later, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres put the exclamation mark on the game with a three-run home run, scoring Wells – who had walked – and Verdugo to make the score 10-4.
But New York wasn’t done yet. Right fielder Juan Soto continued his solid series with a double following Torres’ homer and center fielder Aaron Judge – who has struggled mightily this series – drove him in with a hard base hit to the left field.
The offensive breakout provides hope for Yankees’ fans in one of the most highly anticipated editions of the Fall Classic in recent years between two of the sport’s most legendary franchises.
Wednesday, New York’s top starting pitcher, Gerrit Cole, will take the mound while Jack Flaherty, who pitched a stellar game for the Dodgers in Game 1, is in line to toe the rubber again.
(CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tied a World Series record after homering in his fifth consecutive Fall Classic game Monday night as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2in Game 3.
The Dodgers are now just one win away from the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
Freeman connected on a two-run homer off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the first inning at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. The 35-year-old joins Houston Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to accomplish the feat.
Freeman hit a home run in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Astros.
After the game, Freeman downplayed the accomplishment.
“When it’s all said and done, I can look at that. But the most important thing is one more win. That’s all I care about right now,” he said. “I don’t care how it happens. I just want to get one more win.”
Freeman is one of three players to homer in the first three games of the World Series following Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and Hank Bauer for the Yankees in 1958.
Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler baffled the Yankees’ hitters. Buehler struck out five acrossfive scoreless innings while giving up two hits to pick up the victory.
“I think the playoffs or big games has always been the only thing I really cared about,” said Buehler, who returned midseason after missing almost two full years following elbow surgery.
”I was kind of awful all year, and I think that once you get to the playoffs – the adrenaline, the momentum – I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away because it’s all now. It’s all go.”
Schmidt gave up three runs on two hits while walking four in 2.2 innings and took the loss.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani started following a shoulder injury scare in Game 2. During players’ introductions, it appeared that the Japanese superstar was wearing a sling as he ran onto the field. He batted in his usual spot at the top of the order.
Ohtani went hitless on the night, but reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored on Freeman’s home run. He appeared to wince in pain during multiple swings and held onto his jersey while on the base paths in an apparent attempt to limit how much his shoulder was moving.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani wasn’t feeling his best during an in-game interview in the fourth inning, but acknowledged the slugger being in the batter’s box was a presence for the team.
After the game, Roberts was appreciative of Ohtani’s effort.
“I thought he did a really nice job of competing. I don’t think that it got any worse,” Roberts said. “Obviously just him in the batter’s box starting the game off, getting on base by way of walk. I just really appreciate him posting tonight.”
There was a bit of late drama and a spark of hope for the Yankees when left fielder Alex Verdugo launched a two-run home run to bring the New Yorkers within two. But second basemen Gleyber Torres grounded out to shortstop to end the game during the next at-bat.
Los Angeles takes a commanding three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in New York.
The Dodgers will be seeking the first World Series sweep since 2012.
“We’re trying to get a game tomorrow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the defeat. “That’s where our focus lies. So hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world.
“But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one and then on from there. But we got to grab one first.”
The last time we had no October baseball in New York was 10 seasons ago, in 2014. In 2016, the last time the Yankees didn’t make it to the postseason but the Mets did, we got exactly one October game, even if it was a pretty dramatic Wild Card game between the Mets and the Giants, Noah Syndergaard going toe-to-toe with Madison Bumgarner that night until Jeurys Familia coughed up the Mets season in the 9th.
Now we move up on another dark baseball October, really dark, because of belly flops involving two teams whose combined payroll is over $600 million. All that money, spent on two fourth-place teams. It’s enough wasted money by Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner to make them feel almost as tortured owning local sports teams as the noted Las Vegas entrepreneur, James L. Dolan.
Has there been bad luck for both of our teams? There has, starting even before the regular season began when Edwin Diaz, coming off as great a season as any New York closer ever had, tore up his knee in the World Baseball Classic. Then on the first Saturday night in June, big Aaron Judge injured his big toe running into an outfield wall at Dodger Stadium, and was gone for nearly two months.
The Yankees were 10 games over .500 when Judge got hurt. Somehow they hung in there, and were still six games over .500, 54-48, when Judge returned to the lineup in Baltimore at the end of July. Through Thursday night, they were 23-28 since.
Starting pitchers, big starting pitchers, ended up getting hurt for both teams. Domingo German, the imperfect young man who had pitched a perfect game for the Yankees, ended up in rehab. Anthony Rizzo, one of the good guys, got concussed, a situation that somehow hid in plain sight with the Yankees for a couple of months. Max (We Hardly Knew Ye) Scherzer and Kate Upton’s husband, Mr. Verlander, left town at the trade deadline. So did the immortal Tommy Pham. Pham is a guy now playing for his 8th team in 10 years, but that hasn’t stopped him from acting like the conscience of the 2023 Mets.
What really happened on both sides of the place I started calling Baseball New York a long time ago? A lot. And hardly any of it was good.
But you know who shouldn’t get blamed? The managers.
Buck Showalter is a year removed from leading the Mets to 101 wins and winning manager of the year.
If you really think you can lay all of what we have witnessed over the past six months on Buck Showalter and Aaron Boone, as thrilling as it is for some people to run with the crowd on that, you’ve simply been streaming the wrong movie.
Start with Buck. He was coming off one of the best managing jobs you’ll ever see with the 2022 Mets, somehow taking his team to 101 victories, the same number the Braves won last season. He did that in a season when he ended up getting a total of 34 starts from Scherzer and Wing-and-a-Prayer DeGrom. Even with all that, Mets fans still have a right to wonder how last October would have gone for their team if Scherzer had managed to win the two games he was hired, at very big money, to win:
Scherzer most certainly did not. Had nothing in either game. So the Mets didn’t win the NL East. They ended up losing the Wild Card series to the Padres. This year Buck loses Diaz and does not have nearly enough bullpen behind him. Scherzer got hurt, and suspended for sticky fingers. Verlander started the season hurt. Ninety million tied up in two guys whose combined age is nearly 80. Neither one was a Met after Aug. 1 because Cohen and Billy Eppler, his general manager, waved the white flag at that point.
Now we read and hear that David Stearns, Cohen’s heart’s desire for a while to be head of baseball ops at Citi Field, might want to bring in his own guy to manage the Mets, maybe even his guy Craig Counsell with the Brewers, suddenly discussed as if he’s Joe Torre. You tell me where Stearns is going to find a better one than Buck Showalter, who after last season was named Manager of the Year for the fourth time, in a fourth different decade.
People love to whisper the narrative, just off-stage, that Buck is too old. Is Brian Snitker, who might win another World Series with the Braves after his 68th birthday, too old? Is 74-year old Dusty Baker, who won last year with the Astros, too old? Everybody sees the work Bruce Bochy has done with the Rangers this season. Bochy, who will turn 69 next spring, is a year older than Buck. Is Bruce Bochy too old? You know what all the boy-wonder executives like Stearns should do with great baseball men like these? They should try learning from them.
Aaron Boone was dealt a bad hand from the start with this Yankees team.
And Aaron Boone? Does any fair-minded person look at the construction of this Yankee team — and that means even before Steinbrenner had to pay more than $30 million to make Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson go away — and think this is somehow all his doing? The Yankees were hurt by injuries, absolutely, same as the Mets were. But they also came into the season with no left fielder and no viable third baseman and Rizzo being the only left-handed bat with any pop in it. In Yankee Stadium. With a right field wall so close batters feel as if they can touch it with the end of their bat.
The Yankees came into the season with one player, the surpassing No. 99, that anybody really wanted to watch play baseball on a daily basis. They weren’t fast enough, young enough, athletic enough. If Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner try to talk themselves into believing that this season was some kind of outlier, they’re just kidding themselves. The Yankees nearly lost to the Guardians in the playoffs last season, got swept by Astros, and then made one significant addition: Carlos Rodon, who coming into the weekend had made 12 starts and had a 5.90 earned run average because of injuries.
You know who Rodon might turn out to be, if he isn’t a lot better and a lot healthier next season? Another starting pitcher who turns out to have been a lot better somewhere else. If Steinbrenner really does try to blame this on Boone it is simply because he would be willing to blame anybody except his general manager for the current state of the Yankees. I love people pointing fingers at the Yankees analytics department as if all those people hired themselves.
Plenty of bad luck to go around. Plenty of disappointments, on both teams. Plenty of blame to go around. Fixing these two teams is going to be hard. Putting this on Buck and Aaron Boone is way too easy.
MIGHT WANT TO BLOCK MICAH, SALUTE TO SCHWARBER & TIME FOR BIG BLUE TO PLAY SOME DEFENSE …
One of the more interesting aspects of last week’s Jets-Cowboys game was that Nathaniel Hackett, the Jets new offensive coordinator, seemed to be the only person watching that game who didn’t seem to identify the fact that Micah Parsons was running around the field like the second coming of LT.
My pal Stanton always likes to be a glass-half-full guy, so he points out that when it comes to pro football, at least New York isn’t Chicago.
So, to paraphrase Bill Murray in “Caddyshack,” we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
Do Mets fans ever look at the Wild Card race in the National League and find themselves wondering what might have happened if the Mets didn’t sell when they did.
If you’re keeping score at home, the Red Sox are about to hire their fourth general manager since Theo Epstein.
And two of them — Ben Cherington and Dave Dombrowski — won World Series at a place, Fenway, where executives don’t have the same kind of tenure as justices of the Supreme Court.
By the way?
After trading away Mookie Betts, one of the best all-around players in Boston baseball history, maybe the most boneheaded thing that Red Sox have done lately is letting Kyle Schwarber just walk out the door after he tried to help slug them back to the Series in 2021.
If it sounds like I’m stuck on what Schwarber is doing for the Phillies, I am.
Even with the under-.200 batting average Schwarber carried into this weekend series with the Mets, The Schwarb is one of the most valuable players in the sport.
With an historic stat line that will eventually include 200 strikeouts, 100 runs scored, 100 RBI, and more walks through Thursday night (123) than hits (109), all of that going quite nicely with 45 home runs that might still end up being 50.
Every time James Dolan does an interview he reminds you why he shouldn’t do interviews.
The Giants have now given up 40 to the Cowboys, 28 to the Cardinals and 30 to the 49ers.
If they can’t play better defense than this going forward, they are going to finish last in the NFC East.
I’m so used to seeing Deion on television, I kept expecting him to do a walk-on during an old “West Wing” I was watching the other night.
Seriously?
Who thought the real headliner in those Aflac duck commercials was going to end up being Deion and not Nick Saban?
How’s that idiotic 10-year contract that Michigan State gave Mel Tucker after he won a few games looking now?
If the Zach Wilson thing does go south, do we just give Joe Douglas a pass on that?
Jets fans in the media really aren’t familiar with the whole concept of suffering in silence, are they?
All these stories about Travis Kelce trying to get a date with Taylor Swift are already older than Rupert Murdoch.
* * *
Mike Lupica’s new thriller, “12 Months to Live,” co-authored with James Patterson, is on sale Monday.
Aaron Judge has accomplished all sorts of home run feats throughout his career, but he had never enjoyed a three-dinger day prior to this season.
On Friday, he logged his second of 2023 in a 7-1 win over the Diamondbacks. In doing so, Judge recorded the 38th three-homer game in Yankees history. But he became the first Bomber to ever have two in one season, according to the YES Network’s James Smyth.
The performance earned the captain a curtain call at Yankee Stadium.
Judge pulled off the first with a three-run blast in the third inning, a two-run liner in the fifth inning, and a solo shot in the seventh inning. The first two homers came off Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, while Slade Cecconi surrendered the last one.
Judge now has 35 home runs this season after his jacks totaled 1,182 feet on Friday. He also doubled while playing right field in the victory.
The first three-homer game of Judge’s career came on Aug. 23 against the Nationals. That night, he hit two homers off MacKenzie Gore and another off Jose A. Ferrer.
Judge had suffered a bit of a drought prior to Friday, hitting just one longball in 17 games since Sept. 3. The reigning MVP was slashing .228/.413/.316 over 75 plate appearances during that stretch.
Judge is now hitting .267 with a 1.010 OPS and 70 RBI over 100 games this season. His power numbers would be even larger if not for two trips to the injured list. Judge missed time with a hip strain and a torn ligament in his right big toe this year.
The latter injury sidelined Judge for about two months, and he returned before his toe could fully heal.
BOSTON — When the Yankees’ rotation suffered a few injuries back in spring training, Michael King pitched himself as a replacement to Aaron Boone.
But with King so dominant in relief and fresh off a stress fracture in his throwing elbow, the suggestion was — excuse the pun — a non-starter.
“He was coming off the repair of the elbow, so he was trying to get into the rhythm of his delivery and feel confident,” pitching coach Matt Blake told the Daily News. “We knew what we had in the bullpen and we had some general guidelines we wanted to kind of hold him to as far as multiple innings, multiple days off, three innings, three days off, that type of stuff. We didn’t necessarily want to put him into the rotation at that point just because we had bodies in the mix and we had names that we felt comfortable with. We didn’t want to necessarily move him away from what we knew he did really well.”
But more injuries left the Yankees’ rotation short-handed again in August, so King — a starter in college and the minors — circled back. This time, with Boone short on options, King received a shot as an extended opener. That has blossomed into a traditional starter’s schedule as he continues to build up.
“He’s obviously run with it,” Blake said Thursday before King totaled 4.2 innings, six hits, one earned run, one walk, eight strikeouts and a season-high 87 pitches in his latest start.
The Yankees lost the game, the first of a doubleheader against the Red Sox, 5-0, but King looked sharp despite some inefficiency. He even pushed to stay in longer when Boone went to pull him from the game. Much like the spring, the skipper didn’t bite.
“I told Boonie regardless if I give up 15 or I’m scoreless, I’m not gonna go down without a fight,” King, sounding like a true starter, said afterward. “He wouldn’t let me. I tried my best. I think I might have had a little hesitation, but didn’t fully get there.”
King has now logged at least four frames in his last four starts, totaling 18.2 innings and three earned runs over that stretch. He has also tallied 26 strikeouts and just two walks over that span.
Most importantly, his body and arm are handling the new role well.
“I’m feeling great,” King said. “It’s nice to be on that routine. That’s the main part of my body recovery that I feel like I missed out of the bullpen. Gotta be up every day, you know? So in the rotation, you can have those days to recover, get a full bullpen in between starts and go out there.”
King added that mixing his pitches has allowed him to have success, but he mentioned that he’s been leaning on his fastball more as a starter.
Blake has been impressed with King’s ability to limit hard contact, control counts and induce whiffs as a starter. Boone, meanwhile, said that King has done a nice job of maintaining his stuff as he goes, and that it’s looked similar to how it did when the right-hander was coming out of the bullpen.
“He’s taken to it well so far,” Blake said. “As he’s built his pitch count, you can see him getting in the flow of the game pretty well. And I think he’s using his whole arsenal well — [to] both righties and lefties — and attacking the zone.
“He’s kind of found a nice rhythm there.”
What initially started as an experiment born out of desperation has now given the Yankees something to seriously consider this offseason and next spring: should King be a full-time starter?
That is the pitcher’s goal, and the Yankees have some uncertainty in their rotation that works in King’s favor as he prepares for a few more starts this season.
In an ideal world, the club will start the 2024 campaign with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes in the rotation. But injuries hampered Rodón this season, and Cortes has yet to begin a throwing program after reaggravating a rotator cuff strain.
Boone said that Cortes is close to starting his program, while Blake added that, as of now, the southpaw is not expecting surgery.
Even if the aforementioned names are all healthy at the start of next season, the Yankees will still need a fifth starter, as well as depth, with Luis Severino unlikely to return in free agency. Randy Vásquez and Jhony Brito are also internal candidates after arriving in the majors ahead of schedule this year, but King appears to be the preferred choice.
He would also be a cost-effective one for the Yankees, as King is making $1.3 million this season. He is due for a raise in arbitration, but that bump would be nothing compared to the price of high-end external options like Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Boone said that King’s 2024 role is “probably technically to be determined, but we all believe he can be a starter.”
“He’s probably, in a lot of ways, confirming that in what we’re seeing as he’s continued to build up here these last few weeks,” the manager continued. “Michael’s in a really good spot in that he’s proven himself at this level, obviously, out of the bullpen. But I think he’s also showing us now that — I definitely believe he could be a successful starter. So we’ll see. We’ll see where the next few weeks take us. We’ll see where the winter takes us and how we look going into next season, but right now, he’s putting himself in that starter mix.”
Blake endorsed that sentiment as well, but he also noted that King’s versatility could be “huge” for the Yankees next year.
Even if King were to begin the season in the bullpen, the team now knows that he can handle a starter’s workload in an effective manner at the major league level. If injuries hurt the Yankees again in 2024, King’s experience in the rotation will come in handy.
With that said, he expects to fight for a rotation job next spring.
“I’m more just taking it day-by-day now,” King said, “but in this offseason, I think I’ll definitely build up and be ready to come in to compete for a starting role.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Harrison Bader hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning and the New York Yankees rallied for a 6-3 victory Monday night over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a four-game series between AL East playoff contenders.
Anthony Volpe scored the tying run in the seventh on a wild pitch by All-Star reliever Yennier Cano (1-1) before the Yankees completed the comeback ahead of a postgame fireworks show.
Giancarlo Stanton opened the eighth with a hard single off Cano, and Anthony Rizzo followed with a single against Danny Coulombe.
Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer and scored the go-ahead run from first base on Giancarlo Stanton’s fifth-inning single, leading the New York Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles 8-4.
Sarah Langs, a beloved member of the baseball community who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, was honored at Yankee Stadium on the 84th anniversary of Gehrig’s famous “luckiest man on the face of the Earth” speech.
Jordan Montgomery beat the Yankees for the second time since they traded him last summer, pitching the St.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected for the fifth time this season, tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the third inning of a game against the St.
After showing bunt on the first pitch, Bader drove a 1-1 sweeper into the left-field seats for his seventh homer.
“I was only going to play it for one pitch probably there and then he did the rest,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Got a hanger and did good things with a hanger.”
Bader lifted his arms to celebrate the 415-foot drive as he rounded first base.
“It was cool,” he said. “The Bronx showed up tonight with the energy and we’re right in the middle of the season, right in the thick of it. So to get a win for them is great. I just wanted to round the bases, go back to my team and play defense and finish that game off.”
Bader has been on the injured list twice this season, for an oblique injury that delayed his 2023 debut until May 2 and a hamstring injury that cost him 16 games. The Yankees are 26-12 when he plays, and the New York native hit his first career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or beyond.
Bader’s clutch drive came after he popped out on the first pitch with two on in the sixth against Baltimore starter Tyler Wells. After that, Bader got a pep talk from injured Yankees captain Aaron Judge in the dugout.
“It was a really good reminder from him, which I appreciate tremendously,” Bader said.
Volpe and Kyle Higashioka hit back-to-back homers in the fifth to start the comeback before Volpe scored on a headfirst slide in the seventh.
Tommy Kahnle (1-0) stranded former Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks in the eighth to keep it tied. Clay Holmes struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save, capping 4 2/3 scoreless innings from the New York bullpen, which lowered its major league-best ERA to 2.83.
The second-place Orioles lost for the fifth time in six games and are three games ahead of third-place New York in the division standings.
Baltimore had 12 hits, matching its total from a three-game series against Minnesota, but also struck out 11 times.
“We had 12 hits and only scored three runs,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had multiple opportunities to extend the lead a few times and that’s disappointing, but they just beat us with homers tonight.”
All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman had three hits for Baltimore, including an RBI double, after announcing he will participate in the Home Run Derby next week in Seattle.
Cedric Mullins had a run-scoring bloop single and Ryan O’Hearn hit an RBI single as the Orioles opened a 3-0 lead through three innings against Domingo Germán.
Coming off the fourth perfect game in team history at Oakland last week, Germán allowed three runs — two earned — and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He threw 32 curveballs after throwing the pitch 51 times against the Athletics.
Germán got a hand from the crowd when he headed out to the bullpen to warm up and received a nice ovation when he exited. Between innings, clips of his perfect game played on the videoboard.
“It meant a lot,” Germán said through a translator. “It was good to see all the fans showing support like that.”
Wells allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
HAMLIN KICKS OFF HOPE WEEK
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who was resuscitated with CPR in a game against Cincinnati on Jan. 2 and cleared in April to resume football activities, was honored as the Yankees began their 14th annual HOPE Week events.
Earlier in the day, Hamlin participated in CPR training with several Yankees. Wearing a Babe Ruth jersey, Hamlin threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with former Fordham softball player Sarah Taffet and both participated in the exchange of lineup cards. Like Hamlin, Taffet was also resuscitated during a game in October 2021.
HICKS RETURNS TO BOOS
Hicks returned to the Bronx for the first time since the Yankees released him on May 25 and went 1 for 4.
He heard boos before each at-bat and fans booed during a brief tribute video before the Yankees batted in the second.
Before the game, he expressed his appreciation to the Yankees with an Instagram Story that read:
“Thank you to the Yankees organization for 8 years. I was blessed to be able to represent the city of New York.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: All-Star OF Austin Hays (bruised hip) and rookie INF Jordan Westburg (sore left hand) were held out of the lineup. Both players are feeling better, and testing on Westburg did not show a fracture.
Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (left rotator cuff strain) threw his second bullpen since going on the injured list June 8.
UP NEXT
Baltimore RHP Kyle Gibson (8-5, 4.66 ERA) opposes Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (3-6, 4.37) for the second time this season Tuesday afternoon. Gibson allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings May 25 in New York.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during the second … [+] inning against the Houston Astros in game one of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 19, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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The postmortem press conference held by the New York Yankees assessing the ball club’s 2022 season will not be remembered for its illuminating commentaries or bold proclamations given their dismal demise at the hands of the Houston Astros for the fourth time in the postseason since the 2015 American League Wild Card ball game. The Yankees did announce they will pick up right-handed pitcher Luis Severino’s $15 million club option instead of paying him a $2.75 million buyout. Manager Aaron Boone and Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman answered a myriad of questions regarding the next steps for the Yankees as it is safe to say the franchise’s leadership is deeply committed to a process oriented approach to management instead of one solely driven by results or emotion. As the Astros hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy over their heads once again after a 4-1 Game Six victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the 118th World Series, it is imperative for the Yankees to use discomfort as a fuel for urgency when it comes to offseason planning.
Cashman’s contract had expired on October 31st and is essentially working for free until he and Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner can iron out the details on a new agreement. He just completed a five-year, $25 million contract according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In a quarter century as general manager, Cashman has won six American League pennants and four world championships all but assuring himself a bronze plaque in the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A preeminent and well respected baseball executive, Cashman has been in the crosshairs of irate fans as some believe analytics has adversely affected the Yankees’ aggressiveness in free agency.
Given a World Series drought that has now reached 13 years in length and concerns regarding roster construction, many are left to wonder are employees in the analytics department held to a different set of standards than coaches throughout the organization. A fair and honest question given the results in recent years, but not an indictment against analytics. It is healthy to assess all methods of management as ball clubs are constantly looking for competitive advantages and being early adopters of innovative ideas. Accountability cannot solely rest on the shoulders of the ball players and coaching staff if analytics are an integral part of the organization’s culture.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman attends batting practice during a workout ahead of … [+] Game 1 of baseball’s American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Yankees are emphasizing the importance of process when it comes to discussions regarding results. Curiosity and sound reasoning are just as important as the ability to adapt and grow in a fast paced, results driven environment. They have little patience for employees who are unwilling to make the necessary adjustments and have become stagnant both in thought and action. Trust is evident if the Yankees are seeing employees demonstrate a high aptitude for modern baseball management while carefully explaining decisions in a manner that makes logical sense given the situation. This thought process was evident in Cashman’s remarks when it came to discussing high-contact hitters such as DJ LeMahieu and Andrew Benintendi as their injuries adversely affected the postseason roster.
It will not make the least of difference to fans if the Yankees part ways with a data scientist or two if they cannot recapture the essence of their past with a forward-thinking mentality. Intangibles have always played an integral role in cultivating the Yankees’ championship DNA. They have thrived when the clubhouse culture was a perfect blend of intensity and urgency with a splash of confidence. An endearing aspect of the most recent Yankees’ dynasty was how catcher Jorge Posada’s fiery personality fit perfectly with the quiet confidence exuded by Derek Jeter.
The Yankees must ask themselves what a championship DNA looks like in 2023 with or without free agent outfielder Aaron Judge. The reality is they will not commit over $600 million to two ball players in long-term contracts with one of them being Judge this offseason. Dreams of pairing Judge with the likes of free agent shortstops Carlos Correa or Trea Turner will stay safely in the imaginations of fans. Don’t expect a present day version of the winter prior to the 2009 season where the Yankees had invested $423.5 million into pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett along with first baseman Mark Teixeira. Besides winning their 27th world championship, the Yankees paid a $25.69 million penalty on a $226.2 million payroll for Competitive Balance Tax purposes according to the Associated Press.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees at bat during the first inning … [+] in the game against the Houston Astros in game one of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 19, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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With Judge being priority number one, the Yankees must thrive on the discomfort that accompanies urgency and get creative when it comes to addressing deficiencies. They also must reflect on an important question: do the Yankees need a dramatic shift by overhauling their roster or is it a series of careful tweaks at certain positions? Given the changes next season regarding the limitations on defensive shifts, the Yankees need to evolve from being dangerous to excellent hitters as they ranked 21st in Major League Baseball with a 75.8 percent contact percentage according to FanGraphs.
Removing emotions and impatience, the Yankees have traditionally delivered on four key objectives: a top five payroll in Major League Baseball, 90 or more victories in a season, home attendance exceeding 3 million, and qualifying for the postseason. However, they are light years behind the Astros when it comes to the amateur draft, international scouting, free agency, payroll efficiency, avoiding the Competitive Balance Tax, high impact trades, and managerial experience. The Yankees have struggled to adjust when it comes to the big moments in the postseason, especially against the Astros.
Contrary to the sentiments expressed by Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees are still a distance away from achieving World Series glory. The gap has widened between them and the Houston Astros after seeing their current nemesis celebrate a second world championship in six years. The Yankees have amassed a plethora of cutting edge resources and talent but have yet to find the best way to develop a checks and balance system that works well for the franchise. In some instances, they must get out of their own way and stop overthinking matters by finding the glue that binds everything together. The Yankees must use the discomfort of urgency as a motivating factor this offseason and pay close attention to the Astros’ blueprint for success.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone speaks to reporters before a Game 4 of an American League … [+] Championship baseball series at Yankee Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
In the wake of the New York Yankees capping a tedious 92-win 2021 season with their 6-2 loss in the wild-card game at Fenway Park last year the internet mob and certain voices calling up talk radio wanted someone to be held accountable.
And in most cases since the players cannot necessarily be fired unless a team is willing to absorb the sunken costs of a bloated contract, the person on the firing line was manager Aaron Boone.
A year later after the Yankees saw their season ended with Sunday’s 6-5 loss to Houston in Game 4 of the ALCS, the pattern repeated and perhaps with more vigor.
The hypothetical timeline falls in line with the managerial trends of the Yankees since 1991. The Yankees changed managers 18 times from 1973 to 1991, a timeline that included five stints for Billy Martin and two apiece for Bob Lemon and Lou Piniella.
Then they hired Buck Showalter, whose four seasons started the run of winning seasons. After Showalter would not accept the firing of coaches following Edgar Martinez’s series-ending single on Oct. 8, 1995 in the Kingdome, he departed and in came Joe Torre.
Torre lasted 12 seasons, winning four titles and getting six pennants but it ended badly. With the Yankees facing elimination from the ALDS on Oct. 7, his job was considered to be in jeopardy and about two weeks after they were eliminated in four games by Cleveland, Torre was officially ousted despite getting the support of his players, including Mariano Rivera.
“I don’t feel good about it,” Rivera said Oct. 10, 2007 at a postmortem inside the old Yankee locker room at Yankee Stadium. “The kind of person he is and the kind of manager he is, I don’t see why they’re even thinking about it. If you ask me what I will want, I want him back. I’ve been with Joe for so many years.”
About a month after Rivera’s words of support, Joe Girardi came in, offering more of a sense of rigidness but also some tension at times, especially in 2008 as the Yankees played their final season at the Old Yankee Stadium. Eventually Girardi lasted through the 2017 season, but his personality was viewed as deciding factor for not being retained after a surprising run to Game 7 of the ALCS in Houston, which later was revealed to be stealing signs
A little over 15 years later after Torre’s exit, came the news of Hal Steinbrenner telling the Associated Press he intended to keep Boone much to the consternation of large swaths of fans, who booed him at various points through the regular season and postseason and even during a ceremony to honor Paul O’Neill on Aug. 21 — the day after Boone pounded the table in the interview room following a 5-2 loss to Toronto.
While Steinbrenner’s comments emerged Wednesday in Tampa, so did some differing comments by Rivera, who said the following at Sports Forum of the Panamanian Association of Business Executives:
“If I’m the owner Aaron Boone would not stay. When things don’t come out the way we want them to, all of the fault goes on the manager. Somebody has to pay the price and we won’t put that on the players.”
Whether player performance can be blamed on the manager is an age-old debate that goes up there with who is considered the greatest of all time in a given sport. After all, the manager is not taking the at-bats that result in Aaron Judge going 5-for-32 in the postseason following a 62-homer season or Josh Donaldson going 5-for-29, which is a point Derek Jeter noted when speaking to reporters at his Turn 2 Foundation Benefit.
“Sometimes, when you’re in a situation like that, you’re in a no-win situation unless you win. But I like Aaron. I haven’t been around. I had my head down in Miami for 4 1/2 years. I wasn’t paying close attention. But I like Aaron, and, look, he puts them in a position every year to have that chance to win. Ultimately, it comes down to the players, right?”
And in this day and age, it is a strong possibility Boone was not the one deciding to play three different shortstops and an unprecedented four leadoff hitters during a nine-game postseason run.
One thing is certain, based on what Steinbrenner told the Associated Press, Boone will be in the dugout.
And six days after the World Series ends with Houston or Philadelphia as a champion, comes the mission of making sure Judge is a Yankee on Opening Day next season and not elsewhere, notably the San Francisco Giants – who just happen to be the opponent in the season opener.
NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes’ fastball dropped 3 mph from the end of the second inning to the third in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked to the mound with head athletic trainer Tim Lentych.
“He said he was fine,” Boone recalled. “I’m not going to just pull him out of the game because he isn’t perfect.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing that that happened, obviously, with the circumstances we were in,” Cortes said.
Cortes had reaggravated his strained left groin during workouts in the five days ahead of the Division Series opener against Cleveland on Oct. 11 but made a pair of starts against the Guardians and won Game 5.
He allowed a single and a walk in the first two innings against the Astros, then walked Martín Maldonado leading off the third and had a 2-1 count on Jose Altuve when Boone made the mound visit after his eighth pitch of the inning.
“He asked me how I felt and I told him, `I feel well enough to compete. I feel great,’” Cortes recalled. “He knows I’m a competitor. He knows that it’s going to be hard to take me off the mound. And I think I showed all year that I’ve gained respect from him to leave me out there and grind through it.”
Cortes threw 17 fastballs in the first two innings against Houston ranging from 89.4 to 92.4 mph. His seven in the second inning were from 87.7 mph to 89.1 mph.
His control was off. Cortes went to three-ball counts on seven of 11 batters and he threw just 28 of 55 pitches for strikes.
“It gradually got worse. It started locking up on me there in the third,” Cortes said.
Altuve’s walk marked the first time the 27-year-old All-Star left-hander walked consecutive batters this year. He fell behind 3-1 when Pena homered on a cutter, driving it into the left-field seats.
“I don’t think that homer was because I was hurt,” Cortes said. “It was just, he put a good swing to it. I thought I had located the pitch pretty well.”
Cortes did not pitch between Aug. 21 and Sept. 8 because of a strained left groin, then returned to make five regular-season starts and two in the Division Series, when he allowed three runs in 10 innings.
“It’s been lingering for a while,” he said.
Cortes thought he could pitch through it and Boone believed him.
“We’ve been dealing with this on different levels for a couple months,” Boone said. “He said he was fine and then obviously wasn’t quite fine enough.”
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NEW YORK — Back home for a must-win game, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees generated more boos than base hits.
One more punchless performance and their season is over.
Handcuffed again by Cristian Javier and Houston’s stingy pitching staff, the power-packed Yankees went down meekly Saturday on three harmless hits in a 5-0 defeat that left them on the brink of a four-game sweep by the Astros in the AL Championship Series.
“Our backs are against the wall now,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said in a quiet Yankees clubhouse. “Collectively, we’ve just got to do a better job of putting pressure on them.”
New York must find a way to bust out of its playoff slump Sunday night in Game 4 and beyond, or it will be 13 years and counting without a World Series appearance.
That’s a long time in the storied annals of baseball’s most successful franchise. But the only hope remaining for these $254 million Yankees is an improbable rally that would make them just the second team in major league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series.
Boston accomplished the feat in the 2004 ALCS against the rival Yankees on the way to winning its first World Series championship in 86 years.
Right now, though, New York would welcome something as simple as a clutch single — because the Astros are Yankees kryptonite.
“I think they’ve attacked the zone,” Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “They have good stuff. They have good arms over there. Can’t take anything away from those guys, but we just need to be better.”
After totaling just four runs during two losses in Houston to begin the series, New York’s normally potent lineup looked even more overmatched Saturday in providing zero support for ace Gerrit Cole.
Judge, who set an American League record with 62 home runs during the regular season, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and never got the ball out of the infield. New York is batting .128 with 41 strikeouts in the series.
This from a team that led the majors with 254 homers during the season and finished second in runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I don’t think I’m perplexed about it. It’s just the nature of the game sometimes,” said outfielder Harrison Bader, who made a costly error when he nearly collided with Judge in right-center. “It’s a small sample size.”
Giancarlo Stanton doubled on a 3-0 delivery with one out in the fourth inning — the first hit Javier had allowed in 167 pitches versus the Yankees this year. The 25-year-old righty threw seven innings and struck out 13 in a combined no-hitter by three Houston hurlers at Yankee Stadium on June 25.
This series was supposed to be an entertaining clash between the American League’s preeminent powers, but the Yankees have been no match for Houston pitching.
“They’re not really missing over the big part of the plate a lot,” Rizzo said.
The playoff-proven Astros improved to 8-2 against New York this year, including October. They eliminated the Yankees from the postseason in 2015, 2017 and 2019, and are right on the cusp of doing it again.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has shuffled his lineup during the series in an attempt to get the offense going. Nothing has worked.
“Obviously, frustrating day. It felt like we had some pitches there with Javier to do some things with and just fouled some pitches off. I thought there were some good at-bats sprinkled in there. But obviously just not able to mount enough,” Boone said. “We just need to get a little bit of a spark and something to bounce our way and try and grab a lead and play with it a little bit.”
As the Astros paraded six pitchers to the mound, New York was in danger of being held to one hit for the first time in its 422-game postseason history before Matt Carpenter and Bader got consecutive singles with two outs in the ninth.
Donaldson then struck out to end it, bringing the last round in a string of boos all day from the scattered fans who remained.
“I think they were booing a lot tonight,” Donaldson said.
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Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros got the jump on the New York Yankees again.
Now they’ll try to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series when All-Star lefty Framber Valdez pitches against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino on Thursday night in Houston.
It’s a day off in the NLCS, with the Padres and Phillies tied 1-all as their best-of-seven series shifts from San Diego to Philadelphia for three games beginning Friday night.
Verlander recovered from a rocky start and struck out 11 over six strong innings to lead the Astros past the Yankees 4-2 on Wednesday night.
Yuli Gurriel launched a tiebreaking homer in the sixth. Chas McCormick and rookie Jeremy Peña also went deep as the AL West champions improved to 4-0 in the playoffs after going 106-56 during the regular season.
It was a familiar result in the power struggle between the teams over the past few years.
Houston knocked New York out of the playoffs in 2015, 2017 and 2019 before going 5-2 against the Yankees during the 2022 regular season.
This is the sixth straight ALCS appearance for the Astros, their third meeting with the Yankees during that span.
Houston is trying to reach the World Series for the second consecutive season and fourth time in six years. New York hasn’t made it since beating the Phillies in 2009 for the most recent of its 27 championships.
Verlander set a major league record with his eighth double-digit strikeout game in the postseason. He passed Clayton Kershaw (213) to become the career leader in postseason strikeouts with 219.
New York whiffed 17 times in all to only two for the Astros — the largest difference ever in a postseason game.
“They’re obviously really dynamic,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Outstanding starting pitching, but can shorten the game with the best of ’em. So we’ve got to find a way to break through against them.”
Valdez went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA during the regular season. He led the American League with 201 1/3 innings pitched and three complete games. In Game 2 of the Division Series against Seattle, he allowed four hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Severino was 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts this season. He yielded eight hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS versus Cleveland.
Here’s what else to know about the MLB playoffs Thursday:
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE (All times ET)
ALCS Game 2: New York Yankees at Houston, 7:37 p.m., TBS
OH, BROTHER!
In danger of heading to Philadelphia down 0-2 in the NLCS, the Padres produced another huge rally in front of their rowdy fans to put some punch into the all-wild card matchup.
Brandon Drury hit a go-ahead, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning and San Diego stunned Aaron Nola and the Phillies 8-5 on Wednesday to tie the NLCS at one game apiece.
The fifth-inning surge started with Padres catcher Austin Nola hitting an RBI single off his younger brother that brought the sellout, towel-twirling crowd of 44,607 to life after San Diego trailed 4-0 early.
Drury and Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers. Manny Machado went deep late.
The rally was similar to the one the Padres pulled off Saturday night, when they scored five runs in the seventh inning of a 5-3 victory that eliminated the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.
Joe Musgrove is scheduled to start Game 3 for his hometown Padres against Ranger Suarez.
STILL SLUMPING
Astros star Jose Altuve, a three-time batting champion, went 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 1 against the Yankees and is 0 for 19 this postseason.
The 2017 AL MVP hit .300 with 28 homers during the regular season.
“Jose, he’s due to break out and have some remarkable games,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “This guy has been good for so long, and sometimes the rest of your lineup’s got to carry a guy like that until he gets going.”
OFFSEASON INJURY UPDATES
José Ramírez didn’t let a torn thumb ligament stop him from leading the Guardians during a surprising season.
Cleveland’s All-Star third baseman played the second half — as well as the team’s playoff run that ended Tuesday in the AL Division Series — with a torn right thumb ligament that will require surgery.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners will head into the offseason with four key players needing downtime or surgery to heal injuries, including AL Rookie of the Year favorite Julio Rodríguez. The star center fielder broke his left pinkie during the Game 3 loss to Houston that ended their AL Division Series.
The Guardians said Ramírez injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb during a June game in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old could have opted for surgery, which would have sidelined him for two months, but decided to keep playing.
He’ll have an operation in the next few weeks. Renowned hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham will perform the surgery in Dayton, Ohio.
The Guardians said the rehab will not significantly impact Ramírez’s offseason training or availability for next season.
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said an exit exam this week revealed the injury to the 21-year-old Rodríguez, but he’s not expected to need surgery. He got hurt sliding headfirst into second base on a double in the eighth inning of what became an 18-inning marathon defeat.
Also needing downtime to recover from injuries are Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh (left thumb) and standout reliever Andrés Muñoz (foot), while outfielder Jesse Winker has already undergone one of two operations needed to repair injuries to his left knee and neck that he dealt with during the season.
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CLEVELAND — Gerrit Cole brought the Yankees back from the brink. They’re Bronx bound, still chasing a championship.
Cole gave New York what it needed, seven solid innings and Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer as the Yankees saved their season and forced a decisive fifth game in the AL Division Series with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 on Sunday night.
“This series certainly isn’t over, and we have bigger goals,” Cole said. “But I’m definitely having the time of my life and I love it and I can’t wait to keep going.”
New York’s $324 million man, Cole allowed two runs and struck out eight in beating the Guardians for the second time in six days. He didn’t dominate, but Cole kept Cleveland’s hitters off base and off balance.
Bader homered for the third time in the best-of-five series, connecting in the second inning off Cal Quantrill, who came in unbeaten in 44 games at Progressive Field.
After blowing Game 3 on Saturday, when the Yankees’ bullpen had its greatest meltdown in the team’s storied postseason history, New York recovered and is headed home.
New York will start Game 2 loser Jameson Taillon against Aaron Civale on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
The winner advances to meet Houston in the AL Championship Series.
Josh Naylor homered for the Guardians, who are trying to end Major League Baseball’s current longest World Series drought in their first year after a franchise name change. Cleveland hasn’t won it all since 1948.
With a history of postseason heartbreak, Cleveland teams are 1-7 in winner-take-all games.
“You know if you would have told me back in March, we just signed up to play Game 5 in New York to go to the ALCS, I would have jogged to New York,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “I’m excited.”
Cole was pulled after 110 pitches and Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought in closer Clay Holmes for the eighth. Holmes didn’t pitch in Game 3 after Boone decided to shut him down but didn’t tell the right-hander.
Holmes struck out Amed Rosario and All-Star José Ramírez in the eighth before Wandy Peralta finished for the save. Working his third straight day, Peralta retired three batters on just seven pitches.
“Our guys had that look in their eyes tonight, and it starts with Gerrit,” said first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s a complete win for us and that’s who we are and that’s the wins we need to have.”
The Guardians weren’t supposed to be here. But they won the AL Central, swept Tampa Bay in the wild-card round and had the Yankees on the cusp of elimination. All Cleveland’s kids have to do now is beat the Yankees in baseball’s most hostile environment.
This was the kind of game the Yankees envisioned Cole pitching in when they signed him to a nine-year contract in 2019 as a free agent after he spent two seasons with the Astros.
There was no magic this time for the Guardians, who overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth inning on Saturday to win Game 3 in dramatic fashion.
Cleveland not only rallied against New York’s bullpen on Saturday, but the Guardians became the first team in 168 games to overcome a multi-run deficit and beat the Yankees in the postseason.
The Guardians closed within 3-2 in the fourth on Naylor’s second career postseason homer — and third homer in 17 at-bats — off Cole.
Naylor’s laser shot into the seats fronting the outfield bullpens sent Cleveland’s crowd into a frenzy that got wilder as the animated DH circled the bases swinging his arms back in forth as if he was rocking a baby.
Bader’s 429-foot shot into the left-field bleachers put the Yankees ahead 3-0 in the second, and not only gave them momentum but belief they would even the series following their gutting loss in Game 3.
New York’s dugout erupted with shouts and fist pumps as Bader rounded first following his fifth hit in six career at-bats off Quantrill. He also homered in Game 1, when Cole and the Yankees beat Quantrill.
The Guardians got a run back in the third, but missed a chance for more when Ramírez got a little overaggressive on the base paths.
With runners at first and second, Ramírez dropped a bloop into left field that scored rookie Steven Kwan. Thinking he had a chance to take an extra base, Ramírez went about halfway to second before realizing he had no chance and got thrown out retreating to first.
HAND HIM AN OSCAR
Oscar Gonzalez’s quick rise from rookie to postseason has mirrored Cleveland’s stunning jump to World Series contender.
While the 24-year-old, who has twice walked-off postseason wins with clutch hit, has an aggressive approach at the plate, he’s also a selective hitter — most of the time.
“He swung at a ball in in the fifth inning that almost hit him in the Adam’s apple,” Francona said, recalling a Game 3 at-bat. “And he comes back and that was an at-bat he went deep to right field. He’s a little unique.”
BULLPEN BUSINESS
Boone spent much of his pregame news conference attempting to clarify the communication breakdown between him and Holmes in Game 3.
After the bullpen melted down, Holmes, who was recently sidelined with a shoulder strain, told reporters he was available. Boone, though, said he never informed the right-hander he was down, creating confusion and awkwardness.
Boone said he decided not to pitch Holmes on consecutive days so as not to risk his health. Holmes reported soreness after pitching in Game 2.
Boone said he and Holmes “hashed it out.”
“He could have pitched and 1, 2, 3, boom, we win,” Boone said. “That’s one of the tough decisions that comes across that we try to make thoughtfully.”
UP NEXT
Making his first career relief appearance, Taillon allowed two runs ad three hits without recording an out in Game 2. Civale hasn’t pitched since Oct. 5. He’s won his last three starts with a 3.18 ERA. The right-hander was on the injured list three times this season.
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New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge reacts after striking out against the Cleveland … [+] Guardians during the seventh inning of Game 2 of an American League Division baseball series, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
It was just merely two weeks ago when Aaron Judge returned home fresh off hitting his 61st homer to tie Roger Maris for the AL record.
Two weeks after the seventh game of fans standing up and getting silent in anticipation of those at-bats, Judge stood in the middle of the Yankee clubhouse facing a wider group of questioners.
Not because he homered or produced the game-winning hit and most certainly not because it was a regular-season game.
Instead, Judge stood in the middle of the clubhouse in front of a blue Yankee banner with a corporate sponsor to explain to some people who appear only for postseason games what suddenly has “gone wrong” for him in the small sample known as postseason.
And the final jeopardy answer according to Judge is timing.
“When you are a little late, you miss some pitches you usually do some damage on and you are usually swinging at stuff that you don’t,” Judge said. “I’ve had two bad games in my career multiple times. It’s part of it. You have to learn from your mistakes. You have to get ready for the next one. There are no breaks right now.”
New York Yankees Aaron Judge strikes out swinging against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh … [+] inning of Game 2 of an American League Division baseball series, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
In the crapshoot known as the postseason that sometimes produces more random results than a Strat-O-Matic card, Judge is 0-for-8 through the first two games. He has seen 45 pitches and seven third strikes.
Adding up to the sound from some segments of the crowd on Friday. Boo!!
The boos were not present when he swung and missed at a Shane Bieber cutter to open the game about 10 minutes before Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer. The boos were non-existent when he swung and missed at the same pitch in the third and did not occur in the fifth when Judge looked a fastball that appeared slightly outside and prompted him to briefly glance back at plate umpire Jeremie Rehak.
Then in the seventh of a tie game with the crowd anticipating a big moment came this sequence against Trevor Stephan: swinging strike on a fastball, foul tip on another fastball, ball one on a splitter and then a swinging strike on the same pitch.
The four-pitch sequence was followed by the boos and online the hashtag of #notmymvp. As for how he took the booing, it was about what you would expect if you ever listened to him in interview settings.
He took the boos in stride while conceding the obvious after hearing not even Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were immune from listening to on occasion.
“There’s nothing I can do. I gotta play better,” Judge said. “That’s what it comes down to. Didn’t do the job tonight.”
And a lot of Judge not getting the job done in the postseason is against Cleveland.
In nine postseason games against Cleveland he is 2-for-37 with 28 strikeouts. In his other 29 games, Judge is a .274 hitter (29-for-106)
Still even with Judge’s lack of results against whatever arm from Cleveland faces him, the Yankees are 6-3 in those games with a five-game ALDS win in 2017 and a two-game sweep in the pandemic-induced and now actual wild-card round in 2020.
And it probably explains why Terry Francona was not biting on a question about his team’s strategy for the slugger produced his fourth career postseason game of four strikeouts and the 92nd all-time in the postseason and 42nd instance in a division series game.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but if I did, I’m not sure I’d really want to share it,” Francona said. “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I think sometimes hitters can’t hit a button, and as good as guys are, sometimes guys take 0-fors.
“Until you get through a series successfully, I don’t think anybody if going to stand up here and pound our chest,” Francona said. “He’s too dangerous. We know that.”
Perhaps if Cleveland wins the next two games, Francona can share the details for pitching to Judge. Some of those pitchers who allowed any of Judge’s 62 homers during the regular season might be interested but until then the other Yankees are certainly not abandoning ship on the player who carried them most of the season.
“He’s had 10 or less at-bats,” Stanton said. “It’s just a small sample size that you can use. He’s got time and it’s over now. So that don’t matter. We got to win two out of three and he’s going to help us do so.”
The small sample can produce weird individual results. Just ask the likes of Alex Rodriguez, who was 8-for-44 in 13 ALDS games from 2005 to 2007 and then went 8-for-22 in his next six ALDS games before going 4-for-32 in his final nine games.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the … [+] first inning of Game 1 of an American League Division baseball series, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Associated Press
Gerrit Cole produced plenty of good moments through the 99-win regular season but also did enough things wrong to provide skepticism among fans, especially on the social media portion of the internet.
Perhaps scarred by the AL-worst 33 homers allowed, including the nine to Boston and possibly fearful of a reprise of last night’s nightmarish appearance in the wild card game at Fenway Park, the apprehension was there along with this question:
Should Gerrit Cole start Game 1 of a postseason series?
It was not only a topic among fans but a private discussion by the Yankees in their postseason planning meetings, though it seemed like a brief conversation before Cole ultimately was tapped for the start.
On Tuesday, there were a few anxious moments such as the 2-0 fastball Steven Kwan hit into the right field seats, sending pitching coach Matt Blake for a quick consultation. The next few at-bats that followed were also a little apprehensive for some when Cole loaded the bases as part of throwing 60 pitches through three innings.
The early 60-pitch sequence ended with a nasty slider Andres Gimenez swung at for strike three, one pitch after not getting a call on a close offering. Then quick innings and Cole only allowed two more baserunners allowed while the Yankees took a lead.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the … [+] first inning of Game 1 of an American League Division baseball series, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Associated Press
“It was just a really awesome experience overall,” Cole said. “Just sometimes when you feel the crowd or the energy, it sometimes can become a little easier just to quiet things down because it’s so loud. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it does to me. I mean, just what a great atmosphere.”
That sign made its appearance in the 2001 World Series 18 years before he signed the record $324 million contract but for various reasons, the postseason under the lights in a packed house in the Bronx eluded Cole until Tuesday.
Fans cheer New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) as he leaves the game during the … [+] seventh inning of Game 1 of an American League Division baseball series against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Associated Press
First there was the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the 60-game season. During the truncated season, a midseason slump kept the Yankees from hosting an home game in an empty stadium and they traveled to Cleveland where Cole dominated the opener. Then there were two games in the ALDS against Tampa Bay being played in San Diego and Cole did his part in Games 1 and 5 where the Yankees in a normal setup would be in Tropicana Field.
Last year as baseball trickled back towards normalcy, the Yankees sputtered through an inconsistent first half that likely cost them an AL East title. Eventually they found their footing but sputtered again in September and wound up not clinching the postseason until their final at-bat of the regular season and when they did it was merely for the trip to Boston where Cole could not get out of the third while pitching on a hamstring he tweaked during the Yankees’ seven-game losing streak a month earlier.
Cole was the runner-up in the Cy Young voting to Robbie Ray, who was last seen allowing a 438-foot homer to Yordan Alvarez in Houston as the Yankees lined up for their baseline introductions.
On Monday, Cole seemed locked in with his answers with short clipped answers at the podium, talking as if he would rather be in the high intensity setting of a bullpen session than in a big room with pictures of Yankee history on the side walls and offering his common detailed answers. It was there he relayed an exchange with catcher Brian McCann upon joining Houston:
“You know the postseason is a drug, right?” I said, “Yeah, it is. It is.” You just can’t get enough of it.”
If Cole pitches as well as Tuesday, he and the Yankees may get more than enough of the postseason. There’s still a long way to go but this was a good start and validation of Boone’s defense of Cole, who sometimes can appear flustered at circumstances.
“Really good season,” Boone said Monday. “Obviously because it’s Gerrit Cole and because he came here and signed a huge contract, the long term, and the ace of this staff, the New York Yankees staff, nothing will ever be necessarily good enough. But I think he’s had a very strong year.”
And for one night it was good enough just like his six scoreless starts, his two flirtations with no-hitters in June.
“Gerrit was really good,” Boone said. “He did a really good job of owning the moment and being unpredictable. And I thought his breaking ball was really on point.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — The New York Yankees settled for 99 wins in the regular season, and the American League record 62 home runs for slugger Aaron Judge.
Their focus has already shifted to trying to win their 28th World Series title, and first since 2009.
“This is the fun part of the year,” Judge said.
Judge was out of the lineup a day after hitting his American League record 62nd homer, and the Yankees lost their regular-season finale 4-2 against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday to finish with 99 wins. At the beginning of July, New York was on pace for 118 wins, four more than the franchise record set in 1998.
“AL East champs. I mean, that’s what we hope for in the regular season. You know, we put ourselves in a good spot now. So I guess first mission accomplished in that regard,” manager Aaron Boone said. “There’s some satisfaction in that. But, you know, our group … we want to win it all. And that’s what we’re focused on now.”
Jose Trevino homered for the AL East champion Yankees (99-63), who missed a chance to reach 100 wins for the 22nd time and give the major leagues five 100-win teams for the first time. They get an extended break before opening the AL Division Series at home on Tuesday.
While Judge made his case to play in the regular-season finale, Boone insisted on a break for after the slugger played 55 consecutive games, and 157 overall, in the pursuit of Roger Maris’ single-season home run mark that had stood since 1961.
Fans in the crowd of 28,056 chanted “We Want Judge! We Want Judge!” in the ninth inning, hoping to get to see him get a shot at one more homer.
“Not today. He got plenty of them all year,” Boone said. “Hopefully, we’ve got a lot left now in the postseason.”
Judge finished with a .311 batting average, second in the AL behind the .316 of Minnesota’s Luis Arraez. Judge led the other Triple Crown categories with 62 homers and 131 RBIs.
Charlie Culberson and Jonah Heim homered for the Rangers (68-94), who wrapped up their sixth consecutive losing season. Texas was 17-31 after interim manager Tony Beasley took over Aug. 15, when fourth-year manager Chris Woodward was fired and two days before president of baseball operations and longtime general manager Jon Daniels was also let go.
Texas had lost seven games in a row before its 3-2 win in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday night.
“It is good to be able to end on a winning note. Really we played a good series,” Beasley said. “ That was good for the guys to come out, compete until the end and not quit and not give up. … That’s a testament to the guys in that clubhouse and the character in the clubhouse and what they’re made out of. So those are positive signs of moving forward.”
Rangers rookie Glenn Otto (7-10) struck out five and walked two while allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. Matt Moore, the third Texas reliever, worked the ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
New York starter Domingo Germán (2-5) gave up four runs over 4 1/3 innings, ending his career-best streak of 12 consecutive starts allowing three earned runs or fewer.
Trevino’s solo homer in the fourth inning, his 11th overall but first in 40 games, put the Yankees up 2-1. Texas got even on Heim’s 16th homer in the bottom half, then went ahead in the fifth when Bubba Thompson had an RBI double and scored on Marcus Semien’s single.
Veteran utility player Culberson, who played for only the third time in the past 32 games, hit his second homer in the third.
SEATS
A crowd of 28,056, a day after only the third home sellout, left attendance at 2,011,361 their 13th straight full season of 2 million or more. They drew 2,132,994 in 2019, the final season of their old ballpark.
SHORT HOPS
Rangers 1B Nathaniel Lowe singled and walked to finish the season batting .302, the team’s first qualifier to hit .300 since Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre both did in 2016. Lowe had 93 hits after the All-Star break. … The game broadcast Tuesday night on the Yankees’ YES Network averaged 636,000 viewers and peaked at 933,000 for the 8:15-8:30 p.m. EDT quarter hour, just after Judge’s 62nd homer. The Yankees are averaging 371,000 viewers on YES, their highest since 2011. … The Yankees had a plus-240 run differential, only the second time since 1955 it was that high. The other was plus-309 in 1998.
POSTGAME CELEBRATION
Boone said the entire team got together after Tuesday night’s game to celebrate Judge’s 61st homer and Gerrit Cole’s 257 strikeouts that broke Ron Guidry’s franchise single-season record set in 1978, when he was 25-3 and won the AL Cy Young Award.
“Those two records to fall in probably 5, 7 minutes was crazy. It’s unbelievable,” said Boone, adding that the celebration included Guidry calling in to congratulate Cole, with the entire team able to hear and share in that.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: 2B Gleyber Torres missed the entire four-game series after being a late scratch from the starting lineup Monday for flu-like symptoms. Boone said Torres was feeling better and had no fever, but still was dealing with a sore throat and body aches. A COVID test came back negative.
UP NEXT
The Yankees host play Cleveland or Tampa Bay in the ALDS. The Rangers will have a managerial search, and their next game is the 2023 season opener March 30 at home against Philadelphia.
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge isn’t in the starting lineup for New York’s regular-season finale Wednesday, a day after his 62nd home run that broke Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League single-season record.
When Judge homered in the first inning Tuesday night, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, it was his 55th consecutive game. He has played in 157 games overall for the AL East champions.
With the first-round bye in the playoffs, the Yankees won’t opening postseason play until the AL Division Series starts next Tuesday.
Even though Judge had indicated that he hoped to play Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone said after Tuesday night’s game that they would have a conversation “and see what makes the most sense.”
Judge went into the final day of the regular season batting .311, trailing AL batting average leader Minnesota’s Luis Arraez, who was hitting .315. Judge was a wide leader in the other Triple Crown categories, with his 62 homers and 131 RBIs.
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