October 9, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a two run RBI double against the Cleveland Indians in the second inning during game four of the 2017 ALDS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium. Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge capped a four-run second inning with a two-run double, and the New York Yankees capitalized on shoddy defense by the Cleveland Indians to even the American League Division Series at two games apiece with a 7-3 victory Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
The decisive Game 5 is Wednesday in Cleveland, where the Indians will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak in elimination games. The Yankees will look to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win an ALDS for the second time.
Yankees starter Luis Severino (1-0) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in seven innings, pitching most of the night with a sizable lead. After getting one out on Oct. 3 in the AL wild-card game against the Minnesota Twins, he bounced back Monday to strike out nine and throw 113 pitches.
Judge, who was hitless in his first 11 at-bats of the series, drove in his first two runs of the series.
Todd Frazier added an RBI double for New York. Gary Sanchez hit his second homer of the series in the sixth off Indians reliever Bryan Shaw.
Tommy Kahnle struck out five and recorded a six-out save. He entered after Dellin Betances began the eighth by issuing two walks.
It was an ugly night for Cleveland, which allowed six unearned runs and committed four errors.
Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela made errors in the second and third innings. Trevor Bauer (1-1) allowed four runs, all unearned, and four hits in 1 2/3 innings while pitching on three days’ rest.
Reliever Danny Salazar and first baseman Carlos Santana also were charged with miscues.
Santana hit a two-run homer and Roberto Perez belted a solo shot as Cleveland dropped consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 22-23.
The Yankees struck first by capitalizing on an error by Urshela and Bauer’s curveball in the second.
Urshela was charged with an error when Castro’s grounder went off his leg with one out. After Bauer struck out Chase Headley, Frazier ripped a curveball for a double that barely stayed fair down the left field line for a 1-0 lead.
Aaron Hicks followed with a bloop single on another curveball to center field to make it 2-0. The inning continued when Brett Gardner singled up the middle before Judge capped an eight-pitch at-bat with a double to deep left for a 4-0 lead.
In the third, the Yankees loaded the bases and capitalized on another error by Urshela, whose throw to Carlos Santana was high, forcing the first baseman off the bag as Gardner reached and Castro scored the fifth run.
Cleveland cut it to 5-2 when Santana drove a 2-1 fastball over the center field fence with two outs in the fourth. An inning later, Perez made it 5-3 by homering over the right field fence.
New York took advantage of a throwing error by Salazar to score its sixth run as Frazier opened the inning by reaching on the error and scored on Gardner’s sacrifice fly.
NOTES: DH Edwin Encarnacion was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said he was hoping to use him as a pinch hitter, but Encarnacion did not play. … Yankees DH Chase Headley was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Jacoby Ellsbury, who is 0-for-8 in the postseason. Headley went 0-for-4. … Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
