The New York Yankees struck first in Game 2 of the ALCS on Tuesday and chased Cleveland Guardians ace Tanner Bibee in the second inning.
The Guardians responded with a two-run fifth to cut their deficit to 3-2 and end Gerrit Cole’s night on the mound. But the New York bullpen got the job done down the stretch, and Aaron Judge iced the game with his first home run of the postseason as the Yankees secured a 6-3 win to take a 2-0 lead in the ALCS.
The series now shifts to Cleveland with the Guardians in desperate need of a Game 3 victory.
Yankees get to Bibee early
The Yankees led off the bottom of the first inning with consecutive hits by Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto to put runners on the corners. Then Bibee appeared to have secured the first Yankees out of the game with a pop-up from Aaron Judge. But shortstop Brayan Rocchio watched the routine out bounce off his glove, allowing Torres to score from third for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
The Yankees then led off the second with three straight hits, including an Alex Verdugo RBI double to extend their lead to 2-0. Bibee then got Torres to pop out, setting up the unthinkable: Cleveland intentionally walked Soto to load the bases for Judge.
Yankees force Stephen Vogt into unorthodox decisions
With one out and runners on second and third, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt liked his chances better against Judge than Soto. He intentionally walked Soto and pulled his ace from the game. Bibee was finished after securing just four outs.
Reliever Cade Smith came in to face Judge and did the best he reasonably could in the situation.
Judge hit a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly to extend New York’s lead to 3-0. Smith got out of the inning with no further damage. But the Guardians suddenly found themselves in an unplanned bullpen game.
Vogt explained his decision to pull Bibee in the second inning in an in-game interview with TBS.
“Tanner’s throwing the ball well, but they’re getting to him,” Vogt said. “They’re getting traffic on. Just felt like it was time go get Cade and stop it. Hopefully we can get some offense going.”
The Guardians eventually got some offense going, but not enough.
Cole started the game with four shutout innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. The Guardians loaded the bases again in the fifth and plated their first two runs while ending Cole’s night after 4 1/3 innings. But that was all Cleveland’s offense would muster until a solo home run by José Ramírez in the ninth inning.
New York’s bullpen did its job for the final 4 2/3 innings. It got a boost in the seventh from Judge, who hit his first home run of the postseason. Judge’s two-run shot off of Hunter Gaddis extended the Yankees’ lead to 6-2 and all but put the game away.
Bibee allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. Cole allowed two earned runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts. He didn’t have his best stuff on this night and didn’t pitch deep enough to pick up the win. That honor goes to Clay Holmes for his shutout work in two-thirds of an inning.
Judge finished 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored on his home run. Torres was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the leadoff spot. The Guardians used eight pitchers on the night and are surely thankful for the day off on Wednesday.
If there’s any solace for Cleveland, it’s that Bibee will likely be available for another start sooner than expected after he threw just 39 pitches Tuesday. But the first order of business for the Guardians is winning Game 3, which is scheduled for a 5:08 p.m. ET first pitch on Thursday in Cleveland.
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