Yankees prove they can win ugly, seize commanding ALCS lead vs. Guardians: Highlights

NEW YORK — This time, they proved they could win ugly. Yet there's nothing unsightly about being halfway home to an American League pennant.

The New York Yankees seized what may prove to be a decisive advantage in the American League Championship Series, subduing the Cleveland Guardians and surviving an off outing from ace Gerrit Cole to claim a 6-3 victory in Game 2 Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 and can close out the Guardians with two wins in three games at Cleveland's Progressive Field. Game 3 is Thursday.

While Game 2 was choppy, the capper was certainly majestic: A towering, 414-foot two-run home run from Aaron Judge, their captain and most valuable player who provided crucial breathing room in a game that was surprisingly close most of the night.

Surprisingly, because the Guardians played with an overwhelming and appropriate air of desperation almost from the get-go, as the Yankees claimed a 3-0 lead after two innings. But the Guardians continued getting the tying run to the plate and even on base, only to flail: They left the bases loaded twice and stranded eight runners from the third through fifth innings, as Cole walked four and allowed 10 baserunners without completing the fifth.

But the Yankees' bulwark — their suddenly unstoppable bullpen — was there for them again.

Clay Holmes, Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle and Luke Weaver combined to cover the final 5⅔ innings in two-hit fashion, unsullied until Jose Ramirez hit a one-out home run in the ninth.

Their numbers in this outstanding postseason: A 0.77 ERA in 23⅓ innings, with 23 strikeouts and one extra-base hit allowed.

Here's how Tuesday's game unfolded:

Aaron Judge homers in seventh to give Yankees some breathing room

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge has checked in. And the New York Yankees are drawing closer to checking the Cleveland Guardians out of this American League Championship Series.

Judge struck his first home run of the postseason off Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis, a towering two-run drive to right center field that gave the Yankees a 6-2 lead in Game 2 of the ALCS Tuesday night.

The Yankees are just six outs from claiming a 2-0 series lead before the scene shifts to Cleveland. And they'd reached this point largely without tangible contributions from Judge, who came in batting just .133 — though with six walks and a .364 on-base percentage — this postseason.

He amended that in Game 2, reaching on an error in the first, striking a sacrifice fly in the second and then providing the apparent capper — a 414-foot drive just to the left of the Yankee bullpen in right center field.

Guardians get on board in fifth, chase Yankees ace Gerrit Cole

NEW YORK — The Cleveland Guardians dispatched Gerrit Cole and ate away at most of the New York Yankees' Game 2 lead in the fifth inning Tuesday. But they had already painted themselves into a corner.

The Guardians brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded, but had already played their best bench card an inning earlier, when David Fry pinch-hit for catcher Bo Naylor. So it was left to backup catcher Austin Hedges — a .152 hitter this year — to come up with the big hit.

And reliever Clay Holmes struck him out on five pitches.

That left the Yankees clinging to a 3-2 lead through five innings and the Guardians clinging to some hope — but also kicking themselves.

Cleveland stranded eight runners in the third, fourth and fifth innings as Cole struggled through a six-hit, four-walk outing. The Guardians let him wriggle the most in the fourth, when two hits and a walk loaded the bases for the catcher's spot.

Manager Stephen Vogt opted to burn Fry — one of their AL Division Series heroes — right there with one out. And he was gone just as quickly, swinging at the first pitch from Cole and fouling out to third. Cole then executed his biggest pitch of the night, freezing Brayan Rocchio on a knuckle curve to end a nine-pitch at-bat.

The Yankees tacked on an insurance run in what could charitably be described as a brutal half-inning of baseball, during which Jazz Chisholm and Anthony Rizzo hit doubles — yet were both picked off second base. Not to worry: Rizzo's hit resulted in a run when Guardians right fielder Will Brennan muffed an attempt to barehand the ball, allowing Anthony Volpe to scoot home for a 4-2 lead.

Guardians pull starter, burn best reliever early as Yankees extend lead

NEW YORK — The Cleveland Guardians are in a 3-0 hole two innings into Game 2. They've already burned their best reliever to avoid total disaster. And they are facing notorious Cleveland-killer Gerrit Cole.

See you in The Land?

It's starting to feel that way after the Yankees kept the pressure on Cleveland with a two-run second inning, sparked by three consecutive hits off Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. Bibee got the inning's first out but then issued an intentional walk to Juan Soto to load the bases for .... Aaron Judge?

Yeah, the Guardians said bring on the presumed AL MVP, as they countered with their relief ace, rookie Cade Smith, who only gave up a sacrifice fly to Judge and escaped further damage.

But perhaps enough has been done to send this American League Championship Series back to Ohio with the Yankees leading 2-0.

Yankees grab early lead on brutal Guardians error

NEW YORK — After one game, it was clear the Cleveland Guardians needed to play clean baseball and allow their starting pitchers a chance to flourish if they were to hang with the New York Yankees in this ALCS.

Three batters into Game 2, they'd already failed.

A popup that Aaron Judge hit nearly straight up into the air kept drifting on Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, until he drifted across the middle of the diamond tracking it. Then, he got a little too casual and botched the catch.

And gifted the Yankees an unearned run.

Leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres doubled, moved to second on Juan Soto's single and then scored when Rocchio's hatchet job squirted away for an error.

It proved costlier when starter Tanner Bibee retired Giancarlo Stanton on a foul out and struck out Anthony Volpe, making the run unearned.

Bibee, the Guardians' nominal ace, has not completed five innings in either of his postseason starts. And Rocchio's gaffe in part forced him to burn 27 pitches in the first inning Tuesday.

Not what they wanted.

New York Yankees lineup for Game 2

1. Gleyber Torres (R) 2B

2. Juan Soto (L) RF

3. Aaron Judge (R) CF

4. Austin Wells (L) C

5. Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH

6. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 3B

7. Anthony Volpe (R) SS

8. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B

9. Alex Verdugo (L) LF

Starter: Gerrit Cole

Cleveland Guardians lineup for Game 2

1. Steven Kwan (L) LF

2. Kyle Manzardo (L) DH

3. José Ramírez (S) 3B

4. Josh Naylor (L) 1B

5. Lane Thomas (R) CF

6. Will Brennan (L) RF

7. Andrés Giménez (L) 2B

8. Bo Naylor (L) C

9. Brayan Rocchio (S) SS

Starter: Tanner Bibee

$162 million man Carlos Rodón shines for Yankees in Game 1

NEW YORK – Before the biggest start of his life, Carlos Rodón utilized the resources that come with being a New York Yankee.

And then he justified the significant investment New York has placed in his burly left arm.

Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Rodón lived up to the expectations the Yankees levied upon him when he signed a six-year, $162 million contract before the 2023 season. Two seasons of injury-plagued, erratic, 4.74-ERA teeth-gnashing were all but forgotten with every swing and miss by a Cleveland Guardian, every zero hung on the scoreboard.

And in Game 1 of this American League Championship Series, Rodón not only joined this postseason party burgeoning in the Bronx, but showed he may be a significant reason why the Yankees just might hang World Series banner No. 28.

Anthony Volpe takes October stage for Yankees

NEW YORK – Anthony Volpe has one playoff series worth of experience, but he spoke like an old hand about the Yankees’ October reality.

Entering the ALCS at Yankee Stadium against the Cleveland Guardians, Volpe said the Yankees are "in a really good spot."

“But at the same time, I don’t think we have played our best baseball yet.’’

Having grown up a Yankees fan in New Jersey and Manhattan, Volpe isn’t that far removed from being a kid in the stands for playoff games in the Bronx.

Those October games “were the highlights of the whole season,’’ said the Yankees’ sophomore shortstop.

“What makes it a lot better for me now is, as a fan, you always circle October and maybe wait to go to a big game or something like that,’’ said Volpe. “But I don't think you really appreciate all the stuff it takes to get there.” – Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees vs Guardians highlights: NY takes commanding ALCS lead