About Last Night: The Yankees Outslugged the Guardians 8-6

About Last Night: The Yankees Outslugged the Guardians 8-6

By Tim Kabel

October 19, 2024

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The Yankees appeared to be on the brink of losing this game. They went from leading the game 6-2 to being tied at 6 going into the 9th inning. The momentum had clearly shifted to the Guardians. It seemed inevitable that the Yankees would go quietly in the 9th inning and then Cleveland would find a way to score in the bottom half of the inning. Amazingly, that did not happen. The Yankees continued to have their way with Emmanuel Clase. They scored two runs in the top of the ninth and Tommy Kahnle shut the Guardians down in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn the save. It certainly wasn't pretty but, it was exciting, and it was a win. The Yankees now lead the series three games to one and can wrap things up tonight.

Quick Stats – 

·       Giancarlo Stanton hit his fourth home run of the 2024 postseason.  It was also his 15th postseason home run in 35 games.

·       The Yankees have eight home runs against the Guardians in the ALCS.

·      Giancarlo Stanton is only one of three players to have 15 postseason home runs in less than 50 games, joining Bryce Harper and Babe Ruth. 

·       On October 18, 1977, Reggie Jackson became Mr. October, hitting three home runs on three pitches, as the Yankees beat the Dodgers 8-4 to win the World Series. 

The Big Story –

 The Yankees bounced back from a devastating loss on Thursday to beat the Guardians 8-6 and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series last night. This looked like a game the Yankees would lose.  Yet somehow, they beat the Guardians’ star closer Emmanuel Clase. The Yankees had contributions from just about everybody in the lineup and most of the pitchers came through. It was a hard-fought game, and the Guardians did not go quietly. They are a dangerous team. It would behoove the Yankees to wrap this up tonight. At this point, both bullpens appear to be exhausted but, the Guardians’ bullpen seems to be more vulnerable than the Yankees’. The Yankees need to do whatever it takes to win tonight.

Player of the Game – 

Giancarlo Stanton continued his postseason excellence, hitting a three-run home run off Cade Smith in the sixth inning. By the way, didn’t Cade Smith used to sing “God Bless America” at Yankee Stadium in the seventh inning?

Notable Performances –

Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Anthony Volpe all had two hits.

Better to Forget:

Clay Holmes once again came in and attempted to put out the Guardians’ fire by throwing gasoline on it.

My Take –  

The Yankees won the game and lead the series three games to one. They only need one more victory to make the World Series. However, it was not a smooth or easy win. This was an example of Boone-Proofing in its purest form.

The Yankees won the game despite some questionable moves by Aaron Boone. Luis Gil pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning and had only thrown 79 pitches. I know the Yankees are concerned about how many pitches he has thrown but, he looked strong. He could have at least come out for the 5th inning and gone batter to batter. That didn't happen. Tim Hill could have come out in the sixth inning rather than the fifth. Hill only threw 17 pitches himself. Could he have gone more than one inning? It's certainly possible.

Clay Holmes has pitched in every game in this series. He lost the game Thursday night. The Yankees were trying to avoid using Luke Weaver. They should have done the same thing with Clay Holmes. Holmes almost cost them another game. He was horrible last night. If they had gotten a bit more length out of Gil and Hill, they might have been able to avoid using Holmes. As usual, Boone becomes fixated on using certain pitchers game after game. That can be very problematic and almost blew up in his face last night.

Why is Marcus Stroman on the roster? Another option would have been to bring him in after Luis Gil. He certainly could have pitched an inning or two, and perhaps more. If Boone does not have any confidence in Stroman, he shouldn't be on the roster. He went through lengthy periods of being very effective during the season. He has pitched out of the bullpen before. Stroman certainly would have been a viable option to come into the game at some point last night. Ideally, he could have come in after Gil, whether or not Boone allowed Gil to pitch the 5th inning. This has become a war of attrition, and the Yankees need to eat up innings and get outs. Stroman at the very least, should have been given an opportunity to contribute. Again, if Boone does not feel confident in using him, he shouldn't be on the roster.

For a while, it looked as if the series was about to be tied at two games apiece. That didn't happen. The Yankees now have a commanding three games to one lead. They cannot give the Guardians any more opportunities. They need to wrap this up tonight in Cleveland. Hopefully, Carlos Rodon can give them some length. If he can't, then Marcus Stroman should be called upon. 

The Yankees need to patch together the pitchers in their bullpen along with Rodon to accumulate 27 outs. That should be the focus. The only other thing that Boone needs to concentrate on is not bringing Clay Holmes into the game tonight. I'm not saying Holmes can't be used again in the postseason, but he is not fooling the Guardians. He has pitched every game. The last two efforts have been hideous. There is no reason in the world why he should be brought in tonight. If that happens, it will practically guarantee that the series will be going back to New York.

This was a game that was successfully Boone-proofed. The Yankees won the game despite blunders and dubious decisions by their manager. The Guardians’ manager, Stephen Vogt, made a questionable decision of his own by not walking Giancarlo Stanton in the 6th inning. That came back to bite him. Boone was luckier than Vogt was. He wasn't better. The Yankees and Boone need to have a mistake-free game tonight. If they do, they will most likely advance to the World Series.

Next Up-

Tonight, the Yankees will play the fifth game of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians at 8:08 PM at Progressive Field. Carlos Rodon, (1-1, 4.66 ERA) will face Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee, (0-1, 3.60 ERA). Hopefully, Tanner won’t be throwing BB’s.