CLEVELAND — The Yankees were no strangers to close games early this season, including in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader when their bullpen had to walk a tightrope to beat the Guardians by one point.
But they turned on cruise control during the nightcap.
The Yankees, who won Game 1 3-2 on Oswaldo Cabrera’s two-run home run, scored early and often in Game 2, winning 8-2 behind a great spot start from right-hander Cody Poteet. They won the double header by a landslide. At Progressive Field.
After defeating the Guardians 9-5, the Yankees improved to 12-3, tying the best start in franchise history through 15 games.
They have done it six times, the most recent in 2003.
Additionally, for the third time in team history, they achieved five consecutive wins in the series to start this year.
Juan Soto hits a 3-run homer in the 4th inning to help break the nightcap, Cabrera adds an RBI double in the 5th inning, and John Berti takes over the everyday third base duties with a strong showing. It was a great end to the day. Illinois.
It was more than enough offense for Poteet, who was called up as the 27th player from Triple-A for his first major league game since July 16, 2022, a month before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The 29-year-old right-hander, who signed a major league contract with the Yankees in January, pitched well, allowing one run over six innings, with four strikeouts and no walks.
Former Yankee Esteban Florial struck out in the ninth inning of Game 1 on a 3-on-2 pitch from Clay Holmes outside the zone, but broke Poteet’s shutout with a solo home run in the fifth inning.
But that was all the Guardian could muster from him.
The Yankees set the tone for victory in the first inning of Game 2, taking a 2-0 lead with each of the first five batters on base (three walks, one hit, and one fielder’s error) against Triston McKenzie.
Then, in the fourth inning, with two outs and two on, Anthony Volpe took the lead with an RBI to the center field.
Soto took advantage of this inning, and when he was given the go-ahead with the count at 3-0, he sank three runs to center field to make it 6-0.
