Bronx, NY—The New York Yankees started the American League Championship Series (ALCS) with a strong performance, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Monday night in the Bronx. Carlos Rodón took center stage, delivering a stellar outing that set the tone for the Yankees’ victory.
Rodón pitched six impressive innings, allowing just three hits while striking out nine batters and surrendering only one earned run. His performance marked the third most strikeouts by a Yankees pitcher in a postseason game, trailing only Gerrit Cole’s nine strikeouts in Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Getting the start-off win is big,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who also contributed to the Yankees’ offense with a home run. “It’s a message in its own.”
The Yankees’ offense ignited in the third inning, thanks in part to Juan Soto’s home run that opened the floodgates for two additional runs in the same frame.
Giancarlo Stanton added his 13th career postseason homer, further cementing his legacy as a clutch performer in October. The Yankees, now seeking a record 41st American League pennant, look to capture their first title since winning it all in 2009.
The Guardians faced challenges on the mound, making history for all the wrong reasons. Cleveland became the second team in postseason history to throw two run-scoring wild pitches in a single inning, tying the postseason record with five wild pitches overall. Their pitchers also issued six walks in a nine-batter span and a total of nine walks for the game.
“They don’t chase a whole lot,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, reflecting on his team’s struggles. “If I take something away from tonight, we just need to attack the zone better.”
With this victory, the Yankees set the tone for the series and look to build on their momentum in the upcoming games as they chase another championship title.
Yankees Luke Weaver entered the game with runners on the corners and quickly made his presence felt. He struck out pinch-hitter Will Brennan and then retired José Ramírez on a groundout. In the ninth inning, after issuing a leadoff walk, Weaver responded with three consecutive strikeouts to secure his fourth save of the postseason.
On the other hand, Joey Cantillo struggled with his control, throwing four wild pitches, just one shy of the postseason record set by Rick Ankiel of St. Louis during the 2000 NL Division Series against Atlanta. Notably, this was only the second time in postseason history that a team scored twice on wild pitches in a single inning, with the first instance occurring in the 2002 AL Division Series when Minnesota faced Oakland’s Tim Hudson and Ted Lilly.
“In our eyes, we haven’t done nothing yet,” Stanton said. “We’ve got to win three out of six, and we take that as three out of three.”
UP NEXT:
Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole makes his third postseason start on Tuesday after beating Kansas City in the Division Series clincher. He is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA this postseason. RHP Tanner Bibee is on the hill for the Guardians.
