The New York Yankees, who are said to have built up capability to go to the World Series every year, are a team’s great pride in their career itself. Recently, however, they have kept their head down. The Yankees last advanced to the World Series was in 2009. It has been 13 years since then. It was the longest drought in the World Series since the Yankees won their first World Series title.
The Yankees have made clear their team’s direction that they will seek the World Series again by acquiring Juan Soto, one of the best hitters in the Major League, through a massive trade with the San Diego Padres ahead of this season. The Yankees, which are still one of the most expensive teams in the league, overcame their slump last year to post the highest winning rate in the American League this year, raising expectations. On top of that, both Houston and Baltimore, the toughest teams for the Yankees, fell in the wild card series, which also had positive momentum.
The Yankees, who advanced to the Championship Series after breaking through Detroit’s strong resistance in the Division Series, won both the first and second games in the Championship Series with Cleveland. However, Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes, the most trusted bullpen pitchers, collapsed one after another in Game 3 on the 18th (Korea time), and lost the game after extra time. While Game 4 was important, Game 5 was also a sweat match, but this time the Yankees laughed.
The Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 8-6 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, which took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday. After losing Game 3 after taking the first and second games, the Yankees recorded three wins and one loss overall in the series. Now, they have only one win left before they advance to the World Series. The Yankees can confirm their advance to the World Series as early as Tuesday at Game 5.
Cleveland Indians, which had one dramatic win the previous day, was in the order of Stephen Kwan (left fielder), Kyle Manzado (designated hitter), Jose Ramirez (third baseman), Josh Naylor (first baseman), Lane Thomas (center fielder), Daniel Schniman (right fielder), Andres Jimenez (second baseman), Austin Hedges (catcher), and Brian Locchio (striker). Right-hander Gavin Williams was the starting pitcher.
Against this backdrop, the Yankees were in the order of Gleyber Torres (second baseman), Juan Soto (right fielder), Aaron Judge (center fielder), Jaz Chisom Jr. (third baseman), Giancarlo Stanton (designated hitter), Anthony Rizzo (first baseman), Anthony Wolfie (striker), Austin Wells (catcher), and Alex Verdugo (left fielder). Lewis Hill was the starting pitcher.
The Yankees got off to a good start, with two young starters with fast ball control, command and ball control issues. He started off with the team boasting the strongest home run power in the majors this year. The Yankees took a 2-0 lead, with Juan Soto hitting a two-run shot in the middle, following first-runner Gleyber Torres hit a single to the right. When a 98.4-mile fastball came in on the fifth-highest side of the 3B-1S advantageous count, Soto swung his bat as if he had been waiting. It was Soto’s second homer of the postseason this year.
Hill, however, was nervous as well. Steven Kwan walked and Kyle Manzado hit a double to the outfield after hitting the first baseman, making runners on the second and third bases with no outs. In this situation, Cleveland recovered one point with Jose Ramirez hitting a sacrifice fly. However, he failed to score an additional point on the ensuing opportunity.
The Yankees again hit a home run in the second inning. With Anthony Rizzo and Anthony Volpey both out and runners on base, Austin Wells hit a solo home run in the middle of the month to take a 3-1 lead. Wells was recorded as the first catcher of the Yankees who had a rookie status to hit a home run in the postseason. Cleveland Indians also showed strong performance, however. When the team was losing 1-3, Stephen Kwan, the leader of the third inning, hit a hit to open the door again. Then the out count went up for two consecutive times, but Kwan stole the second base, making it two outs and a second base, and Josh Naylor hit a timely hit to left to lead the game to one point difference.
While both teams failed to score points in chances in the fourth and fifth innings, the Yankees gained momentum first. Cleveland was trailing by one point, but put up Cade Smith, its must-winner, in the sixth inning to hold on. However, things didn’t go as planned. Leading the Yankees 3-2 at the sixth inning, Juan Soto drew a walk to pressure Cleveland, and Aaron Judge hit a left-handed hit to support the team. Jazzy Chisom Jr. then made a sacrifice bunt to second and third bases with one out.
However, he did not need a sacrifice bunt. Giancarlo Stanton had one. Stanton was caught first in the countdown to 2S, but when the fourth pitch came into the zone, he swung his bat vigorously. The hit led to a three-run homer over the left-center fence, giving the Yankees valuable three runs. It was Stanton’s fourth homer of the postseason this year, and he continued his great performance to make up for Aaron Judge’s silence on homers. It was also significant in that he destroyed Cade Smith Card, Cleveland’s must-winner.
However, the game between the two teams, which had an extended bloody battle with all the reliable bullpen pitchers on the previous day, was very close again this time. With home ground spectators’ enthusiastic support, Cleveland did not give up the game. After losing 2-6, Cleveland hit back at the seventh inning. After leading man Brian Lockio drew a walk, Stephen Kwan got on base with a hit to the right field, making runners on the first and third bases with no outs. And David Fry, the star of the walk-off home run on the previous day, was at the batter’s box.
The Yankees made a surprising choice here, too. Fry gave Clay Holmes, who bowed out after a walk-off home run, another chance. It ended in multiple blood clots. Holmes struck out Fry and got over the hump. He threw a sweeper that fell high in the 2B-2S, and Fry failed to respond, settling yesterday’s debts. But there was another inflection point.
For Cleveland, Jose Ramirez had a dogged game with Holmes. He allowed 2S first, but tolerated the breaking balls that fell low, leading to a full count match. Holmes did not miss the 7th slider in the middle, and committed a foul with the first baseman
The Yankees saved Holmes by Mark Leiter Jr. and ended the inning without additional runs, but Cleveland tied the game dramatically in the eighth inning after a series of superstrikes that even Hunter Gaddis put in. Leading Bo Naylor hit a double that fell next to right field. The Cleveland bench ordered Brian Lockio, who had a good hitting sense in the postseason, to hit hard instead of a sacrifice bunt, and made a ground ball to shortstop, continuing the chance with one out and third base. Here, Stephen Kwan only hit a fly ball to the second base, creating a worst-case scenario, but David Fry created another dramatic scene.
Fry’s pitch missed and passed to pitcher Lighter Jr. However, Lighter Jr. couldn’t catch it all at once. Lighter Jr., in a hurry, threw a toss to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, but it was too close, and Rizzo also failed to catch a lower-than-expected throw and spilled it through his crotch. Meanwhile, the third baseman homered and tied the game.
As a result, Cleveland Indians started to solidify its position by posting its strongest closing pitcher, Emmanuel Clase, this year’s regular season. However, there was a twist here, too. Clase, whose performance in the post season, which was not good unlike crazy performances during the regular season, collapsed again on the previous day. With confidence, the Yankees had a hit to the left in the ninth inning, followed by Anthony Rizzo, who had a hit to the center, and Anthony Volpey, who had no outs and runners on the first and third bases. Then, Volpey stole second base by stealing, putting pressure on Clase.
Austin Wells struck out, but when Alex Verdugo grounded out to shortstop, Brian Lockio failed to catch the ball, which increased the score. Even though it was difficult to block the third baseman’s home run, he could have caught one out count, but he failed to do so. After taking a breather, the Yankees widened the gap to two points with Gleyber Torres’ timely hit. Amid Clase’s collapse, Cleveland’s mental health also collapsed. Clase lost his pride with an earned run average of 10.29 during the postseason this year. 스포츠토토
The Yankees put up Tommy Kainley in the ninth inning instead of Luke Weaver, the closing pitcher who collapsed the previous day, to prevent one inning and win 8-6, two points apart. Keinley also had an unstable scene, but he still did not lose a point, filling the gap in which Weaver did not play.
After starting pitcher Lewis Hill allowed two runs in four innings, the Yankees left the mound. Clay Holmes collapsed again, but Mark Leiter Jr. still prevented the collapse. Giancarlo Stanton saved the team with a decisive three-run homer, while Gleyber Torres was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and Juan Soto had two RBIs and Anthony Rizzo and Anthony Volpi had two hits each. Austin Wells also recorded one homer, saving the pride of the Yankees, who showed the strongest home run power during the regular season.
On the other hand, Cleveland’s starter Gavin Williams was sluggish with three runs in two ⅓ innings, and even Cade Smith, the bullpen’s ace card, had a hard day after getting a home run from Stanton. The Cleveland bullpen, which has little memory of being hit by home runs by its regular-season opponents, is constantly being hit by the Yankees’ home run power. Emmanuel Clase held his second defeat of the postseason with three hits and two runs in one inning, which continued to be sluggish. In the lineup, Stephen Kwan scored two hits, one walk and three runs from four times at bat, Jose Ramirez two hits, one walk and two RBIs from three times at bat, Josh Naylor two hits and three RBIs from five times at bat, and Andres Jimenez two hits from five times at bat, but it did not lead to a team victory.
The two teams will play Game 5 of the Championship Series on Tuesday at the same venue. Left-hander Carlos Rodon, who started Game 1, will take the mound to end the series early. During Game 1, Rodon pitched 93 pitches during six innings, and led his team to victory by allowing three hits (one homer), nine strikeouts, and one run. Attention is focusing on whether such quality pitching will continue in Game 5. Right-hander Tanner Bybee, who started Game 2, will take the mound as the centerpiece. Bybee started in Game 2, but was substituted early due to poor performance of five hits, one walk, two strikeouts and three runs (two earned runs) in the first ⅓ inning. At that time, he pitched 39 pitches, and he is expected to have no significant physical problems. It is also interesting to see how the bullpen of Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver (hereinafter the Yankees), and Emmanuel Clase (Claude) will perform in this series.