Homers back Rodon as Yankees take advantage of wild Guardians to win ALCS opener

Author of the article:

Associated Press

Ronald Blum

Published Oct 14, 2024  •  3 minute read

Outfielders Alex Verdugo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto of the New York Yankees celebrate after winning Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium on October 14, 2024 in New York. Photo by Patrick Smith /Getty Images

NEW YORK — Juan Soto homered during New York’s three-run third inning, Carlos Rodon got his first postseason win and the Yankees took advantage of Cleveland’s wildness in a 5-2 victory on Monday night in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

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Cleveland became the second team to throw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches in a postseason inning and tied a postseason record with five overall. Guardians pitchers walked six in a nine-batter span and nine overall.

Giancarlo Stanton added his 13th career postseason homer for the Yankees, who are seeking a record 41st AL pennant. New York batters have walked 36 times in five postseason games.

Rodon rebounded from the Yankees’ only loss in the Division Series, limiting the Guardians to a pair of singles before Brayan Rocchio’s sixth-inning homer.

Steven Kwan pulled the Guardians within three runs when he extended his postseason hitting streak to a team-record 11 games with an RBI single in the eighth off Clay Holmes.

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Luke Weaver entered with runners at the corners. He struck out pinch-hitter Will Brennan and retired Jose Ramirez on a groundout, and then followed a leadoff walk in the ninth with three straight strikeouts for his fourth save this postseason.

Game 2 is at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. Entering this year, teams taking the opener of a series with a 2-3-2 format have won 66 of 99 times.

Before a sellout crowd of 47,264 that included pop star Taylor Swift, Soto hit his first postseason homer for New York when he drove a high slider from Alex Cobb into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center.

Making his first playoff appearance in 11 years, Cobb walked the bases loaded in the third and rookie reliever Joey Cantillo threw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches. Cobb was removed because of hip tightness and a back spasm.

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Cantillo had four wild pitches overall, one shy of the record for a postseason game set by Rick Ankiel of St. Louis in a 2000 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta. The only other time a team scored twice on wild pitches in a postseason inning was by Minnesota against Oakland in the 2002 AL Division Series.

Rodon struck out nine and walked none, getting 25 misses among 53 swings, matching the fourth-most misses in a postseason game since pitch-tracking began in 2008. His pitches broke so much that catcher Austin Wells had to throw to first three times on strikeouts for the putouts.

Cobb dropped in 0-2 in the playoffs, making just his fifth start in a season limited by injuries. He threw 36 of 65 pitches for strikes, getting only one swing and miss, and allowed three runs, five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.

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TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (flexor strain in pitching elbow) is to throw a second bullpen session Wednesday and is a possibility for the World Series roster, should the Yankees advance.

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Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole makes his third postseason start on Wednesday after beating Kansas City in the Division Series clincher. He is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA this postseason. RHP Tanner Bibee starts for the Guardians. He had a 2.08 ERA without a decision in a pair of Division Series starts against Detroit. Bibee has pitched once at Yankee Stadium, his second big league outing in May 2023. He allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision, giving up Anthony Volpe’s opposite-field homer over the right field short porch.

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