New York moves closer to another World Series, scoring against the All-Star closer for an 8-6 win that pushes Cleveland to the brink of elimination. Giancarlo Stanton hits a three-run homer and Juan Soto hits a two-run shot for the Yankees. Game 5 is Saturday.
Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase gave up two runs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees moved closer to another World Series, beating the Guardians, 8-6, on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single and New York scored its go-ahead run on an error by shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who booted Alex Verdugo’s grounder.
It was a messy ninth for Clase (0-2) as baseball’s best reliever all season faltered for the second night in a row.
New York got three singles in the ninth off the right-hander, who gave up back-to-back homers in the eighth inning of Game 3 but got bailed out when the Guardians got a pair of two-run homers in their final two at-bats.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and Juan Soto hit a two-run shot for the Yankees, who can advance to their 41st World Series with a win in Game 5 on Saturday (5 p.m. PT, TBS, truTV).
The Guardians are facing elimination in the postseason for the second time. They rallied in the ALDS to get past Detroit and will have to win three straight, including two at Yankee Stadium, to have any chance of ending their 76-year World Series drought.
