CLEVELAND — Yankees’ Close Win Over Guardians
On a night when the Yankees hoped for an ace performance from Gerrit Cole, things didn’t quite go as planned. Yet, still, a win is a win.
Five relief pitchers combined to throw five scoreless innings, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. managed to silence the critics. In front of a crowd of 27,154 at Progressive Field, the Yankees pulled off a 3-2 victory over the Guardians with a crucial home run in the eighth inning.
“It’s amazing,” manager Aaron Boone remarked. “Everyone is doing their job well.”
With seven relief pitchers used in a 10-inning victory the previous night and dealing with the humidity, Cole was not at his sharpest. He faced trouble in the fourth inning but escaped without significant damage on his final pitch.
In his fourth start since Tommy John surgery and second consecutive game against Cleveland, Cole looked fatigued, giving up two runs on two walks and five hits. He struck out four batters but acknowledged feeling stretched thin. “At some point, I really got gassed,” he admitted. “It’s like survival mode.”
Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, Camilo Doval, Jake Byrd, and Fernando Cruz stepped in for relief, with everyone but Cruz pitching multiple games in a row. Blackburn did well to avoid a missed squeeze bunt, which could have led to trouble.
David Bednar sat out after throwing 38 pitches in consecutive games, allowing Cruz to secure his first save. His major moment came in the eighth inning, where with two outs and a runner on second, he coaxed a fly ball from slugger Jose Ramirez.
“We might not have big names in the bullpen, but we are a special group,” Cruz told the press. “We work seriously and have a strong bond. Something unique is happening here.”
In the ninth, Cruz struck out a batter. Boone praised him, saying, “He’s saved us multiple times this year, putting out fires in critical moments.”
With the game tied at 2-2, the Guardians kept Tim Herrin in the game after a scoreless seventh, hoping to exploit Chisholm’s left-handed hitting. Chisholm, however, capitalized on a pitch from Aaron Judge’s bat, sending it deep into right field.
“He’s tough and doesn’t often miss his spots,” Chisholm noted. “It felt like a huge relief when he finally did.” He took his time rounding the bases, letting the boos wash over him. Perhaps the crowd’s jeers motivated him?
“Oh, definitely,” he responded. “I think that made me try a bit harder in my previous at-bat. This time, I just told myself to stay calm. The crowd was really vocal, and I could feel it.”
Chisholm’s homer was the Yankees’ second of the game. Earlier, Spencer Jones hit his first career home run, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. He was eager to keep up his momentum after a strong performance since returning to the team.
The Guardians managed to tie the score at 2-2 in the third inning, loading the bases. Chase DeLauter’s two-out single got past shortstop Anthony Volpe, who, despite his best efforts, ended up on the ground after misjudging the hit.
When Cole approached Rhys Hoskins and hit him on the knuckle, it drew booing from the crowd, especially since it happened just days after Hoskins homered off him.
Cole seemed momentarily distracted as he covered first base after a sharp ground ball from Angel Martinez, resulting in a swift RBI single. A trainer visited to check on Cole, but it was less about an injury and more about him needing to catch his breath.
“That was a deep jam,” Cole said, relieved to have survived the inning and stayed in the game.
