The American League Championship Series picks up in Cleveland with the New York Yankees up 2-0 on the Cleveland Guardians after their big bats jumped all over the AL Central champs in the first two games in the Bronx. Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto both hit home runs in the 5-2 Game 1 win, and then Aaron Judge went deep in New York’s 6-3 win in Game 2. The Yankees haven’t been to the World Series since 2009, and they’re halfway to their 41st AL pennant in the 2024 ALCS.
With the series now in the Midwest, the Guardians have an opportunity to get back in the series on home turf, where they’ve been good all year. At 50-30, Cleveland had the best regular-season home record in the American League. Also, the Guardians took two of three games at Progressive Field in the ALDS against the Tigers.
The Yankees have starter Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 K 1 BB in 2024 postseason) on the mound for his second start of the playoffs against Matthew Boyd, who hasn’t allowed a run in his two postseason outings (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP 10, K 3 BB) for the Guardians.
How to watch Yankees vs. Guardians ALCS Game 3 (NYY leads 2-0)
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TIme: 5:08 p.m. ET
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Location: Progressive Field | Cleveland
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TV channel: TBS, truTV
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Streaming: Max, Fubo
Live52 updates
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Juan Soto strikes out to end the top of the ninth. The Guardians will need two runs against Luke Weaver, who stays in for a four-out save.
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A sacrifice fly from Gleyber Torres brings in Volpe, with Alex Verdugo going to third. Next up: Juan Soto.
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Eli Morgan came in for Clase and is now coming out after striking out Austin Wells. Still two runners in scoring position with one out as Andrew Walters takes over.
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Hoo boy. The Guardians appeared to have the lead runner out at third, but the rundown ends with José Ramírez losing the ball while trying to tag Anthony Volpe. Now the Yankees have runners on second and third with no outs and the chance to add some insurance.
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Weaver strikes Fry out, and the Guardians are down to their last three outs. It will be José Ramírez, Josh Naylor and Lane Thomas in the bottom of the ninth.
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Tommy Kahnle gets the second out but walks Steven Kwan and then gets the hook. Luke Weaver is coming in to face David Fry.
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OK, there’s a double from Will Brennan. Guardians have a tying run in scoring position with one out.
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Emmanuel Clase in the regular season:
74 1/3 innings, 5 earned runs, 2 home runs allowedEmmanuel Clase in the postseason:
6 innings, 6 earned runs, 3 home runs allowed— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 18, 2024
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The inning finally ends on a sliding catch by Daniel Schneemann, but the damage is done. Cleveland needs a comeback or will face a possible sweep on Friday.
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Call confirmed. Bad times for the Guardians, with Clase now allowing a single to Jazz Chisholm. The best reliever in baseball hasn’t gotten an out in three batters.
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Wow, now the Guardians are challenging that Stanton didn’t touch first base on the homer.
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Yankees 4, Guardians 3
Emmanuel Clase allowed two home runs all regular season. He just allowed back-to-back homers to Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It’s his third homer allowed in the postseason.
The Yankees are suddenly six outs away from taking a 3-0 lead in the ALCS.
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Yankees 3, Guardians 3
The Guardians can say they did the smart thing. They can say they brought their best guy in. They cannot say it worked out.
After going up 0-2, Emmanuel Clase allows a game-tying home run to Aaron Judge, a frozen rope to right field. It’s a new ballgame in Cleveland, with a sweep suddenly on the horizon again
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Gaddis walks Juan Soto, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is indeed bringing in Clase to face Judge with two outs. This could be the game right here.
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Emmanuel Clase is already warming up in the bottom of the eighth. There’s a good chance he comes in if Gaddis reaches Aaron Judge in the lineup.
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Kahnle keeps the seventh inning scoreless and now it goes to the Yankees offense, with six outs remaining.
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Tim Mayza allows a leadoff walk to David Fry, and that will end his day. Tommy Kahnle comes on with one on and none out.
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Herrin gets a flyout from Verdugo to end the frame. It looks like it will be Hunter Gaddis in the eighth.
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Tim Herrin was a strike away from ending the inning after a Jon Berti double play wiped out a leadoff walk, but Anthony Volpe extends the inning with a double. Alex Verdugo will now try to bring him in.
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Kwan grounds out to end the inning. The Yankees still need two runs over the next three innings, with Tim Herrin (Dominant Guardians Reliever No. 2) coming in for Cade Smith.
