NEW YORK YANKEES
With tonight’s victory, the Yankees take a 2-0 lead in the 2024 American League Championship Series and improve to 5-1 overall this Postseason.
- Teams to take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven Postseason series have gone on to win the series 76 of 91 times (83.5%), including 32 of 37 times in the LCS (86.5%)…Teams taking a 2-0 lead at home in any seven-game series have gone on to win 50 of 61 times (82%).
- Tonight was the first time the Yankees took a lead in a Postseason game on an error since Game 2 of the 2009 ALCS vs. Angels, when Jerry Hairston Jr. scored the walk-off run in the 13th inning following a throwing error by Macier Izturis.
GERRIT COLE: Did not factor in decision after working 4.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. - With the four strikeouts tonight, now has 146 career Postseason strikeouts…Moved ahead of Tom Glavine (143 SO) and Mike Mussina (145 SO) and is now in seventh place on the MLB all-time Postseason strikeout list.
- New York improves to 3-0 in his Postseason starts this year and 7-3 overall in his Postseason starts since he joined the Yankees in 2020.
GLEYBER TORRES: Led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a double to LF and scored the first run of the game on a fielding error by Brayan Rocchio…Finished the night with three hits and two runs scored. - Tonight was his fourth career Postseason game with 3+ hits and first since a four hit performance in Game 1 of the 2020 A.L. Wild Card Series at Cleveland.
- Has reached base safely in each of his last nine Postseason games (including all six Yankees games this year), dating back to Game 2 of the 2022 ALCS at Houston…Has reached safely in the Yankees first plate appearance of the game in five of New York’s six Postseason contests in 2024.
ALEX VERDUGO: RBI double in the 2nd inning extended the Yankees lead to 2-0…It was his first extra-base hit of the 2024 Postseason and second RBI (first since Game 1 of the ALDS).
AARON JUDGE: Matched his Postseason single game career-high with 3 RBI tonight with a 2-run HR in the 7th inning and a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning (he also had 3 RBI in Game 3 of the 2017 ALCS vs. Houston). - The home run was the 14th of his Postseason career, which ranks fifth in Yankees history, behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20), Mickey Mantle (18) and Babe Ruth (15)…It was also his first Postseason HR since Game 5 of the 2022 ALDS vs. Cleveland…Each of his last three Postseason homers have come vs. Guardians.
- Tonight was his second consecutive night with a sac fly (totaled two sac flies during entire 2024 regular season)…First player to have a sac fly in consecutive LCS games since Josh Hamilton (TEX) in 2011 vs. Detroit.
CLAY HOLMES: Has worked 6.2 scoreless innings in the 2024 Postseason and has appeared in all six games for the Yankees…Tonight was his second winning decision of the playoffs.
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS
Guardians fall to 0-2 to begin the 2024 ALCS and are 3-4 overall in the 2024 Postseason.
- With eight pitchers used tonight, matched a franchise record for a Postseason game (fifth time, second in 2024 – also, Game 5 of ALDS vs. DET).
- Went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.
- Prior to tonight’s game, MLB approved a roster substitution for the Guardians due to an injury sustained by RHP Alex Cobb…As a result, Cobb was replaced by RHP Ben Lively…In accordance with the rules, Cobb would be ineligible to return in the World Series.
TANNER BIBEE: Charged with the loss, after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts, across 1.1 innings pitched. • Shortest outing of Major League career (regular season or Postseason); previous was 3.2 IP on May 8, 2023 vs. Detroit. • Made his third career Postseason start (all in 2024) and first career start in a League Championship Series.
STEVEN KWAN: Singled leading off the 5th inning to extend his Postseason hit streak to 12 games, dating back to Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS. • The streak extends his Cleveland franchise record for the Postseaso; previous was 10 games by Kenny Lofton (1995 ALDS Game 3 – 1995 World Series Game 3). • Longest Postseason hit streak for an A.L. player since a 16-game streak by Houston’s Michael Brantley in 2020-21. • Across his seven games this Postseason, is batting .448 (13/29) and his 13 hits lead all American League players in the 2024 Postseason and are second-most in the Majors, behind Mark Vientos (14 hits for Mets).
BRAYAN ROCCHIO: Singled in the 3rd inning and has now hit safely in all seven of the Guardians 2024 Postseason games. • The seven game hit streak to begin his Postseason career is the longest streak in Cleveland history, breaking the previous record of six games by Jhonny Peralta and Lonnie Chisenhall.
JOSÉ RAMÍREZ: Hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th inning to cut the Yankees lead to 6-3…It was his fourth career Postseason home run and second of 2024. • His 16 career Postseason RBI rank sixth in Cleveland franchise history and his four Postseason HR are tied for seventh-most.
JOSH NAYLOR: Drove in Cleveland’s first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning…Also tallied two singles, for his third career multi-hit Postseason game (first in 2024).
WILL BRENNAN: Recorded first RBI of the 2024 Postseason on a fielder’s choice in the 5th inning, which cut the Yankees lead to 3-2.
2024 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
- With the Yankees holding a 2-0 series lead, the 2024 ALCS shifts to Progressive Field in Cleveland…Following an off day tomorrow, the Guardians will host Game 3 on Thursday night at 5:08 p.m. EDT.
- Of the 16 total combined runs scored across the first two games of the series, just eight runs have scored on hits…Following is a breakdown of run scoring plays in the series:
- Home Runs – 6 runs (4 solo HR & 1 2-run HR)
- Sacrifice flies – 3 runs
- Wild pitches – 2 runs
- Errors – 2 runs
- Single – 1 run
- Double – 1 run
- Fielder’s choice – 1 run • Tonight was the 29th all-time Postseason game between the Guardians and Yankees, which is the most among any American League opponents…The only Postseason matchups with more games played are Yankees vs. Dodgers (66 games) and Yankees vs. Giants (43 games).
