Yankees inch within 1 win of World Series after wild, bounce-back win over Guardians in Game 4

CLEVELAND — Shortly aft David Fry crushed a walk-off homer for the Guardians successful Game 3 of the ALCS, 1 Yankee aft different insisted the squad had thing to interest about.

“There’s nary uncertainty we tin flooded this and bounce back,” said Clay Holmes, who surrendered the game-ending blast connected Thursday. “It’s a resilient radical of guys.”

That resiliency showed connected Friday night, arsenic the Yankees rebounded for an 8-6, Game 4 triumph astatine Progressive Field. With 1 much victory, the squad volition instrumentality to the World Series for the archetypal clip since 2009.

A formed of characters boosted the Bombers’ bounce-back, but it was Giancarlo Stanton who continued to bid the spotlight astatine its brightest.

After seeing his dramatic, go-ahead solo homer wasted successful Game 3, the designated hitter improved upon his pristine playoff estimation with a three-run homer to near successful the sixth inning of Game 4. As Stanton stared astatine his 404-foot weaponry disconnected Cade Smith, helium became conscionable the 2nd Yankee to deed astatine slightest 4 location runs successful aggregate postseasons.

Reggie Jackson, nicknamed Mr. October for his postseason prowess, is the lone different subordinate of the group.

Stanton present has 15 location runs implicit 35 playoff games. All person travel with the Yankees. He besides entered Game 4 with the 10th-best OPS (1.003) and wRC+ (166) among players with astatine slightest 100 postseason sheet appearances.

Pitch to Giancarlo Stanton astatine your peril. pic.twitter.com/xJsEbTEJUu

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 19, 2024

While Stanton gave the Yankees 6-2 lead, others slugged the Guardians earlier successful the night.

With his squad caller disconnected a brutal loss, Juan Soto acceptable the code aboriginal with a two-run homer disconnected Gavin Williams successful the opening inning. Like Stanton, Soto watched his shot alert arsenic it traveled 414 feet.

Cleveland got a tally backmost successful the bottommost of the archetypal erstwhile José Ramírez picked up a sac fly, but Austin Wells ripped a solo changeable for his archetypal playoff location tally successful the 2nd inning.

The rookie catcher, batting eighth aft a 2-for-26 commencement to his archetypal postseason, recovered himself batting eighth aft becoming the Yankees’ go-to cleanup hitter implicit the summer.

While Aaron Boone decided it was yet clip to demote Wells successful the bid — the 25-year-old besides struggled successful September — the manager simultaneously foreshadowed a breakthrough.

“I truly bash person assurance moving forward,” Boone said earlier the game. “He’s going to person bully at-bats oregon the close at-bats, and it’s, ‘Boom,’ close away.”

Wells besides caught Luis Gil, who pitched successful his archetypal crippled since Sept. 28 aft not appearing successful the ALDS.

Following Ramírez’s sac fly, Gil allowed a third-inning azygous to Josh Naylor. However, the fireballing righty held the Guardians to those 2 runs arsenic helium gutted done 4 innings successful his postseason debut.

While Stanton opened the crippled up a fewer innings aft Gil’s departure, Cleveland rallied against Holmes for the 2nd consecutive nighttime successful the seventh. Ramírez and Naylor each had RBI doubles disconnected the erstwhile closer. That made it a one-run game, but Mark Leiter Jr., added to the roster hours earlier successful spot of the injured Ian Hamilton, stopped the bleeding determination for the clip being.

That changed successful the eighth erstwhile Fry softly grounded a shot toward Leiter. The reliever knocked it toward the foul enactment and flipped it to Anthony Rizzo, but the shot went nether the archetypal baseman’s mitt, allowing Bo Naylor to people from third.

The Yankees recovered much resiliency successful the ninth though, arsenic Emmanuel Clase besides failed his squad for the 2nd crippled successful a row.

Rizzo and Anthony Volpe each singled disconnected the closer, and the shortstop past stole second. Rizzo scored erstwhile Brayan Rocchio botched an Alex Verdugo grounder, portion Volpe crossed the sheet connected a Gleyber Torres single.

Having blown a sizeable pb themselves, the Yankees completed their ain comeback erstwhile Tommy Kahnle worked astir postulation successful the ninth.

With Game 4 successful the books, the Yankees present person a 3-1 pb successful the series. With Game 5 acceptable for Saturday nighttime successful Cleveland, the Yankees person a accidental to observe a pennant successful force territory earlier enjoying immoderate down clip anterior to the World Series.

Carlos Rodón volition instrumentality the shot successful his archetypal roadworthy commencement of these playoffs. The lefty dominated the Guardians successful Game 1 of the series, holding them to 1 tally and 3 hits portion walking nary and striking retired 9 implicit six innings.

Tanner Bibee volition commencement for Cleveland aft besides starting Game 1. He’ll beryllium looking for a longer outing aft lone lasting 1.1 innings that night.