CLEVELAND – With the score tied, and a berth in the World Series just a swing away, Juan Soto fouled off pitch after pitch against Hunter Gaddis. Then, on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Soto connected for the biggest hit of the Yankees’ season.
He crushed a Gaddis fastball over the centre field wall, scoring two teammates and turning a tie game into a Yankees lead. Three outs later, the Yankees had defeated the Guardians 5-2 in 10 innings to win the ALCS 4-1. The win gives New York their 41st American League pennant in franchise history and sends them to the World Series for the first time since 2009.
It was then time for the typically stoic Yankees to dogpile on the infield in celebration of their achievement.
The dramatics wouldn’t have been possible without dominant relief work from the beleaguered Yankees bullpen, including a two-inning outing from Luke Weaver, nor would the win have happened without yet another game-changing home run from Giancarlo Stanton, who tied the game 2-2 with a home run to left field in the sixth.
Those performances were fitting for an ALCS that packed tons of action into just five games. Despite losing four of five, the Guardians were in each game and their lone victory featured iconic home runs from Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry.
Stanton now has four home runs in the ALCS – one shy of the Guardians’ team total. In 36 career playoff games, he now has 16 home runs and 35 RBI, all with the Yankees. Only Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter and Mickey Mantle have more playoff home runs with New York.
That said, it’s hard to fault Tanner Bibee for surrendering the Stanton home run. The Guardians’ 25-year-old ace was pitching on short rest, but still managed to go 5.2 innings while allowing just two runs. It was a strong performance, especially considering how much the Guardians have had to push their bullpen in recent weeks.
Pitching opposite Bibee, Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon wasn’t as sharp as he was in Game 1 of the series, but he still struck out six over the course of 4.2 innings while allowing two earned runs.
But even with two respectable starts, the bullpens were sure to play a significant role in this game. For Cleveland, Cade Smith entered for the third day in a row and held the Yankees scoreless, as did Tim Herrin and Emmanuel Clase. In the 10th inning, though, Gaddis was unable to keep the score tied.
New York’s bullpen was even better. Mark Leiter Jr. contributed for the second night in a row despite being left off the initial ALCS roster, and Tim Hill, Jake Cousins and Weaver each followed with scoreless appearances.
For the Guardians, the off-season has arrived earlier than they’d hoped. They’ll likely seek starting pitching and a backup catcher, but the makings of a strong team are again in place for 2025, when the push for another playoff berth will begin anew in a division that’s getting more competitive.
As for the Yankees, they’ll get five days of rest before the World Series begins next Friday, either in the Bronx against the cross-town Mets or in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The next week will likely include workouts and sim games, but first – a chance to celebrate a hard-won achievement.
After all, the Yankees may have represented the American League in the World Series more than any other team, and they still have bigger goals ahead, but each pennant requires lots of talent and focused work. For at least one night, they get the chance to appreciate the significance of being the last American League team standing.