Guardians rally past Yankees in extras to even ALDS

[October 15, 2022] NEW YORK -- Due to bad weather and a different schedule than most years, the Cleveland Guardians spent nearly a week in New York.

Their first part of their business trip to the Bronx did not go well and their second leg of the trip was trending poorly. Then Jose Ramirez and Oscar Gonzalez came through in the 10th inning.

Ramirez opened the 10th with a bloop double, reached third on an error and then scored on Gonzalez's tiebreaking RBI single as Cleveland beat the New York Yankees 4-2 to even the best-of-five American League Division Series at one game apiece on Friday afternoon.

"It's no secret how aggressive he is on the bases and the standard that he sets," Gonzalez said of Ramirez through an interpreter. "We know how good a player he is."

After arriving in New York on Sunday night, the Guardians took a 4-1 loss in the opener Tuesday and then earned the split with the next two games in Cleveland, as Triston McKenzie opposes New York's Luis Severino in Game 3 on Saturday night.

Instead of playing the first two games on consecutive days as normally scheduled, the teams were originally slated to play Tuesday and Thursday nights before a rainout moved Game 2 back a day and created the possibility of four games in four days should the series go the distance.

Ramirez opened the 10th against Jameson Taillon (0-1) by dropping a double to left field when Oswaldo Cabrera could not make the catch. Ramirez slid headfirst into third when New York third baseman Josh Donaldson committed a throwing error.

"I kind of enjoyed today because we hung around," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "And I kept thinking, we are going to find a way. Jose is probably the only player in baseball that ends up on third with that ball."

Ramirez scored when Gonzalez lifted a 1-2 pitch into short right field in front of Aaron Judge. Gonzalez scored the second run of the inning when Josh Naylor doubled over the head of Yankees center fielder Harrison Bader.
 

"Just a perfect spot," New York shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. "We were in the shift, so it made it a little tougher to get back there. It was just a tough play and heads-up baserunning by them as well."

It was Gonzalez's second hit in extra innings in the postseason. Last Saturday, he sent the Guardians into the ALDS by hitting a game-ending homer in the 15th to beat Tampa Bay.

"He has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, like he did the other day," Francona said of Gonzalez. "But he also has the awareness to shorten up enough. Getting the bat on the ball gives you a chance."

Emmanuel Clase (1-0) secured Cleveland's first playoff win over the Yankees since Game 2 of the 2017 ALDS by recording the final seven outs.

After Cleveland right-hander James Karinchak loaded the bases in the eighth inning on three walks, the third with two outs, Clase retired Kyle Higashioka on a soft lineout to third to end the threat. He stranded a runner in both the ninth and 10th innings before finishing off the victory.

Andres Gimenez had an RBI single and Amed Rosario hit a home run for Cleveland, which ended a six-game postseason skid to the Yankees going back to 2017.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer four batters in against Guardians starter Shane Bieber. But New York struck out 15 times, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.

"That's a good team over there," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "They can run pitchers out there. They have got their ace on the mound today on a day where it's tough to hit. They run good guys out of the 'pen. So we just couldn't break through today."

Judge was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and has struck out seven times in two games. He heard some boos after his fourth strikeout in the seventh against Trevor Stephan.

"Just a little late," Judge said. "When you're a little late, you're missing pitches that you're usually doing some damage on."

New York starter Nestor Cortes allowed two runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out three, walked three and highlighted his postseason debut with a spectacular defensive play on a comebacker to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.

Bieber allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked three and pitched with a runner on base in each inning except the fourth.

The Yankees took a quick lead when Stanton lifted a full-count fastball into the right field seats after thinking he walked on the previous pitch, a low cutter that instead was ruled a strike.

Cleveland got within 2-1 when Naylor scored on Gimenez's single to right. The Guardians tied the game when Rosario sent a 1-0 fastball into the Yankee bullpen in center in the fifth off Cortes.

--By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

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