The Cleveland Guardians defeated the New York Yankees 6-5 in walk-off fashion on Saturday in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. The Guardians rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the ninth, scoring three runs to take a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series. With another win, the Guardians will advance to play the Houston Astros for the AL pennant. (The Astros won their ALDS against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.)
The Yankees fell behind early, with the Guardians plating runs in the first and the second innings to take a 2-0 lead. New York's offense rallied with a pair of two-run home runs that gave them a 4-2 lead, including Aaron Judge's first knock of the series:
Starter Luis Severino followed the same trajectory as his team: rough at first, then smooth sailing. He departed in the sixth with two runners on. One of the two would score, reducing the Yankees' lead to 4-3, but another home run (Harrison Bader) and New York's bullpen seemed primed to hold the 5-3 lead.
The Guardians rallied in the ninth, however, with four consecutive one-out hits that cut the Yankees' lead to one. Oscar Gonzalez then delivered a two-out single that plated a pair of runs and sealed the shocking win for the Guardians.
Here are six things to know about the Guardians' Game 3 win.
Just last Saturday, Oscar Gonzalez homered to end the Guardians' marathon game against the Tampa Bay Rays and put his name on the national stage. That win advanced the Guardians to this series. While Gonzalez had to settle for a single against the Yankees this Saturday, it nonetheless helped the Guardians secure an improbable win.
When Luke Maile struck out to begin the bottom of the ninth, the Guardians had less than a five percent win expectancy, according to FanGraphs. Things can change quickly in baseball, and that proved to be the case on Saturday. Myles Straw, Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, and José Ramírez all singled, resulting in a run scoring and loaded bases. A Josh Naylor strikeout later, and the Guardians were down to their final out.
That's when Gonzalez did this:
It's worth noting that Yankees manager Aaron Boone attempted to stretch Wandy Peralta for a second full inning, and that he called upon Clarke Schmidt -- and not Clay Holmes -- in an attempt to lock things down. Maybe the Guardians would have rallied behind their onslaught of well-placed singles anyway, but it does mean that the Yankees will have even more reason to look back at Game 3 with regret if they lose this series.
Of course, none of that matters to the Guardians or Gonzalez. They simply have another reason to celebrate an unlikely hero.
Severino finished his night an out short of a quality start: 5 2/3 innings, eight hits, three runs, and no walks with six strikeouts on 106 pitches. That qualified as a win in a few respects, since it marked a massive turnaround from how his night started.
Put another way, Severino was so shaky early on that manager Aaron Boone had right-hander Domingo Germán warming in the bullpen during the second inning.
Severino allowed three hits in the first inning and then three more in the second. Yet in both instances, he stranded a pair of baserunners who, had they scored, could have broken the game early and led to a drastically different outcome. Boone allowed Severino to begin the third inning, and Severino rewarded his manager's faith.
Indeed, Severino righted the ship from there, retiring 13 consecutive hitters until Andrés Giménez reached on an infield single in the sixth inning.
Severino's counterpart, Triston McKenzie, started the night in much better shape than the Yankee did. At the end of the evening, however, McKenzie departed having thrown five innings and surrendered four runs on four hits and a walk.
As mentioned in the introduction, Judge delivered his first hit of the ALDS, and, by virtue of the Yankees having a first-round bye, of the postseason as a whole. It was a 449 foot blast that had an exit velocity of 113.7 mph, according to Statcast.
Judge had entered Saturday mired in a season-worst slump: 0 for 8 with seven strikeouts and a walk in the first two games.
"I don't mean to be rude, but if we did (have a plan to shut down Judge), I'm not sure I'd really want to share it. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Guardians manager Terry Francona said following Game 2. "I think sometimes -- hitters can't hit a button. As good as guys are, sometimes guys take 0-fors. Until you get through a series successfully, I don't think anyone's going to stand up here and pound our chest. He's too dangerous. We know that."
Judge's struggles have been a surprise, in part because he just recorded one of the best offensive seasons in history by breaking the AL and Yankees single-season home-run records (with 62 long balls) and competing for the AL Triple Crown.
It was a good night and a good game for rookie left fielders.
Oswaldo Cabrera of the Yankees notched two hits: a double in the third inning that precipitated Judge's two-run shot, and then a two-run home run of his own in the fifth. His home run had an exit velocity of 104.8 mph and traveled 409 feet:
Cabrera appeared in just 44 regular-season contests, making him one of the least experienced players in this series.
On the other side of the field, Steven Kwan of the Guardians also recorded three hits. He led off the bottom of the first with a double (and then scored), plated a run in the second with a single, and singled again in the ninth. He even scored the game-winning run. Kwan, of course, was one of the most productive rookies in the majors during the regular season, appearing in 147 games and amassing 5.5 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.
This should not come as a surprise, but going ahead 2-1 in a best-of-five series is a big deal. To wit, our own Dayn Perry's research has revealed that teams who have taken a 2-1 lead in the LDS go on to win those series around 75 percent of the time. That would seem to bode well for the Guardians' chances of advancing to the ALCS. Even so, the Yankees aren't to be counted out until they're officially eliminated.
The Yankees and Guardians will reconvene on Sunday in Cleveland for Game 4. The Guardians have a chance to close out the series, while the Yankees will attempt to stave off elimination and force a return trip to New York for a decisive Game 5.
Gonzalez with a line drive up the middle to score both runs. Bader made a good throw home, but there was just no chance with two outs. Once the ball got through the infield, the game was over. What a game.
Naylor strikes out. Oscar Gonzalez, who walked off Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, comes to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and his team down one.
And the bases are loaded. IKF was able to get to the ball to keep everyone in the infield
Rosario singles and it's 5-4 with runners on first and second for Ramirez. Only one out.
Clarke Schmidt entering the game for the Yankees.
My fault. Ramirez is hitting third. Amed Rosario comes to the plate with runners at first and third. Kwan is the tying run at first while Rosario could walk it off with a homer. Ramirez is on deck and I'm sure this time.
Myles Straw with a blooper in no-man's land and he ends up getting to second. The Guardians have the tying run at the plate in leadoff man Steven Kwan. Jose Ramirez looms on deck ...
They're going to go with Wandy Peralta to close it down. It would be a seven-out save. Presumably, he'd be compromised for tomorrow, but they need to hold this one before worrying about that. Plus, it would leave Clay Holmes totally off today before Game 4 tomorrow.
He's retired all four batters he's faced, including two strikeouts.
Yankees reliever Wandy Peralta has been so valuable to them this year in the midst of so many other injuries and inconsistencies. He just struck out Josh Naylor to leave a man on base. It's 5-3 Yankees going to the 8th.
Harrison Bader with his second homer of the series. It's 5-3 Yankees.
And have a 61.3 percent chance of winning Game 3 over Cleveland.
Trivino's been nails for the Yankees this season since being acquired from the A's.
Hard grounder through the right side and it's 4-3 Yankees with runners still on the corners.
He came over from the A's at the trade deadline. It's runners on first and third for the Guardians with two outs and Will Brennan at the plate.
Two outs in the sixth, runners on the corners.
Heck of a turnaround by him. It looked like he wouldn't get into the third, and now he's through five.
He helped start the Yankees' rally earlier, now he homers to give them the lead. It's 4-2.
Harrison Bader led off the inning with a single Oswaldo Cabrera hit a home run.
Still tied at 2-2.
It looked like he might be on his last legs in the second. He's now one out into the fourth at 70 pitches.
Credit to him and Aaron Boone for sticking with him. Two long innings to begin the night, but that was a tidy third.
