The New York Yankees secured a pivotal 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Rangers in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series League Championship Series (ALCS) 2024, taking a 2-0 series lead.
Aaron Judge Hits His First Home Run of the Postseason
The game was highlighted by Aaron Judge's first home run of the postseason, a powerful seventh-inning blast that helped cement the Yankees' win. Judge's home run, connected at 111.3 mph at a 37-degree angle, flew over the deepest part of center field, providing a needed boost to New York's offense.
The game began with the Yankees quickly taking control in the first inning. Gleyber Torres opened with a double against Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee. Juan Soto followed with a single, advancing Torres to third base and creating a great scoring opportunity.
Aaron Judge came to the plate and, what appeared to be a routine pop-up, turned into a pivotal moment when Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, a Gold Glove finalist, made an error by dropping the ball.
This failure allowed Torres to score, putting the Yankees up 1-0 in the first inning. Bibee, clearly affected after Rocchio's error, struggled to get through the inning, throwing 27 pitches.
Gerrit Cole Resists Under Pressure
In contrast, Yankee ace Gerrit Cole sailed smoothly through the first two innings with only 28 pitches, showing good control early and getting two strikeouts.
The Yankees extended their lead in the second inning. Anthony Volpe led off with a single and advanced to third after another Anthony Rizzo single. Alex Verdugo followed with a line down the left field line that knocked in umpire Vic Carapazza in fair territory.
Volpe scored on the play and Rizzo advanced to third, forcing Cleveland to take Bibee out of the game before he managed to complete five outs. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt brought in rookie reliever Cade Smith after giving up an intentional grounder to Soto to fill the bases for Judge.
Although Judge was fooled by the throw, he hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Rizzo to score, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
Gerrit Cole faced his first real challenge in the third inning, allowing a hit and a walk, but managed to get out without allowing runs, thanks in part to bad swings by Kyle Manzardo and Jose Ramirez. However, Cole's control began to falter in the fourth inning when he loaded the bases with one out.
Despite the mounting pressure, he got out of the jam with a fly out in foul territory by David Fry and a strikeout of Rocchio after a long at-bat. The Yankees' lead held up.
The fifth inning presented another danger for Cole, as Steven Kwan and Manzardo connected back-to-back singles, and a walk-off single filled the bases with no outs. Josh Naylor connected on a sacrifice fly that brought in Cleveland's first run, cutting the lead to 3-1. This prompted Yankees manager Aaron Boone to turn to reliever Clay Holmes.
New York Bullpen Responds at Critical Moments
Holmes allowed another run on a defensive pickoff play, cutting the Yankees' lead to 3-2, but prevented further damage by striking out Austin Hedges with the bases loaded, a crucial moment against one of the league's weakest hitters.
Cole's final line showed 5+ innings pitched, six hits allowed, two clean runs, four tickets and four strikeouts. Although he showed good control early on, his command began to falter after the second inning. Fortunately for the Yankees, Cleveland hitters failed to fully capitalize on Cole's mistakes.
Reliever Tim Hill took over in the sixth inning and restored order, retiring the Guardians 1-2-3. However, the Yankees squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. was caught off second base after a double to open the inning.
Still, Rizzo connected on a key one-run single later in the inning, and Volpe scored after an error by Cleveland outfielder Will Brennan, extending the Yankees' lead to 4-2.
The Yankees continued with errors in base running, as Rizzo was caught between second and third on a blocked ball by Hedges, frustrating fans, despite the lead. Still, the Yankees bullpen held steady, with Tommy Kahnle pitching a scoreless seventh inning to maintain the lead.
Judge's home run in the seventh inning was a defining moment, as it not only extended the Yankees' lead, but also marked a personal breakthrough for the power hitter, who had been feeling the pressure to perform in the postseason. His 111.3 mph power hit energized the team and fans alike.
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Closing of the Match
In the ninth inning, Jose Ramirez connected on a solo home run against Yankees reliever Luke Weaver, cutting the deficit to 6-3. Despite this late Cleveland effort, Weaver stood tall and closed out the game for the Yankees, securing the victory.
Throughout the postseason, the Yankees bullpen has been a reliable force, protecting leads and keeping opposing offenses at bay. This was again demonstrated in Game 2, as the relievers outperformed Cleveland's bullpen, which had been widely praised prior to the series.
The Yankees now head to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the ALCS. Game 3 will take place at Progressive Field on Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 5:08 PM ET.
Clarke Schmidt is expected to be the starter for the Yankees, while the Guardians will likely send veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd to the mound.
