CLEVELAND — After a pulsating Game 3 that saw the Cleveland Guardians climb back into the American League Championship Series in the most dramatic fashion, the New York Yankees have less than 24 hours to clear their heads.
The Guardians, one out away from a 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series, got a two-run homer from pinch hitter Jhonkensy Noel in the bottom of the ninth inning and a two-run shot from David Fry in the 10th to earn a 7-5 win on Thursday.
Cleveland will attempt to level the series in Game 4 against the visiting Yankees on Friday.
“Sucks losing like that, obviously, but kind of a classic game, and we’ll be ready to roll tomorrow,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees fell despite hitting two dramatic homers of their own: a game-tying two-run blast from Aaron Judge and a go-ahead solo shot from Giancarlo Stanton, both in the eighth inning against Guardians All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase.
“That was an incredible game on both sides,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “All the emotions, ups and downs, back and forth, you name it. If there’s an emotion, we all felt it on both sides.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. That’s exactly who we are. We never quit. We get punched in the teeth pretty hard there in the eighth, and our guys stepped up huge for the guy that carried us all year long (Clase). That was really fun to see.”
What won’t be fun for either manager will be mapping out a Game 4 bullpen plan to back a pair of starting pitchers who will both be making their postseason debuts. Gavin Williams will get the ball for the Guardians, while the Yankees will go with Luis Gil.
Although Matthew Boyd became the first Cleveland starter in the series to last at least three innings, going five on Thursday, Vogt still had to use seven relievers in the extra-inning win.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt threw 4 2/3 innings, and Boone used six relievers. The Yankees might have to find a replacement for right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton, who departed in the sixth inning due to left calf tightness. One of two right-handers, Clayton Beeter and Mark Leiter Jr., could take Hamilton’s place on New York’s ALCS roster.
Gil, who went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 regular-season starts, has not made an appearance for the Yankees since Sept. 28. In that contest, he went 5 2/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up six runs on six hits.
The 26-year-old rookie right-hander attempted to stay sharp by throwing a simulated game on Monday.
“I feel good,” Gil said Thursday. “I feel ready for the opportunity tomorrow.”
In two career starts vs. the Guardians, Gil is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA. He faced Cleveland once this year and got a no-decision after permitting three runs on three hits and six walks with three strikeouts in three-plus innings on Aug. 20.
Williams, a 25-year-old right-hander, has had an even longer layoff. He last worked on Sept. 22, when he threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the St. Louis Cardinals. Williams finished the season 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts.
He faced the Yankees for the first time in his career on Aug. 22, and he took a loss after yielding three runs on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Williams fanned five.
“They’ve got a tough lineup,” Williams said of the Yankees. “But I faced them earlier in the year, and I know what they have, and they know what I have. …
“Can’t let them on base. Can’t give them free passes. That’s when they start to hurt you is when you give them free passes. Just going to attack them.”
