Bronx, NY- They came to the Bronx looking for that important split in the best-of-five AL Division Series and the Cleveland Guardians accomplished what they had to do in 10-innings Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
And their 4-2 win over the Yankees takes them home with the series tied at a game apiece. This is what the Guardians and their veteran manager Terry Francona, set to accomplish. The win also came two days after the Yankees took Game 1 Tuesday night.
A scheduled off day in the series, postponement of Game 2 because of rain, caused both teams to wait two days before taking the field. They lost an off day and will now play three straight.
These Guardians don’t anticipate returning to the Bronx for a possible decisive Game 5 that would be played in the Bronx Monday evening. And rain is in the forecast for Monday night which could play a role.
“It was really important for us as a team,” Andrés Giménez (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) said after reaching base twice. He drove in the Guardians’ first run with an RBI single in the fourth inning off Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, his first career postseason RBI.
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His team makes contact at the plate. They hit, run, and score. They don’t hit many home runs but they managed to get one from Amed Rosario, a game tying and first career postseason home run in the fifth inning off Cortes.
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“I don’t know that is two days we have to play those two games at home and see what happens,” Giménez said about returning the series to Cleveland. “We go from there.”
Rosario, (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) his former teammate with the cross-town Mets, both came over to Cleveland in the trade for Francisco Lindor, also said there are two games to be played in Cleveland. But this Guardians team, without making an assured bet, has the confidence and ability to clinch the ALDS at home and advance to the ALCS next week.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports
Giménez said about Rosario, “He’s always been there for me.” After Giménez drove in an important run there was Rosario by his side in the dugout. And on the field they have formed a viable infield at shortstop and second base.
But this is teamwork and the Guardians have always shown that ability to win and come from behind. They won 92 games and with a great stretch in September easily overtook the White Sox and Twins for the AL Central division title.
They were never intimidated with the Yankees, or concerned about having to come to the Bronx for the first two games of the series as a sixth seed AL team in the postseason.
Friday, again, they put the ball in play. They followed a script of their season and capitalized on mistakes, this time the Yankees bullpen in the 10th inning and an outfield mistake paved their way to evening up this series.
José Ramírez (Bani, Dominican Republic) led off the 10th inning with a soft double hit to shallow left, a ball Yankees’ left fielder Oswaldo Cabrera could not handle with attempts of a sliding catch. Josh Donaldson at third got the ball and his throw to second got Ramirez to third.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports
Oscar Gonzalez (Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic) followed with the go-ahead RBI single. That was the Guardians following their script, but more importantly now in the postseason.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports
He said, “We just keep focusing on doing the small things and putting the ball in play and that has given us results.”
“I kind of enjoyed today because we hung around,” Francona said. “And I keep thinking, ‘we are going to find a way.’ We seem to have played in a lot of games where that’s the outcome.”
The outcome was trailing early and staying patient. Also, the Guardians bullpen outdid the Yankees. And prior to Tuesday, their pitching staff had a scoreless streak of 20.0 innings until a Harrison Bader solo home run.
Emmanuel Clase, (Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic) Guardians closer and league leader with 42 saves, ended a bases loaded two-out Yankees rally in the 8th inning with a ground ball.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/ Latino Sports
In the postseason, of course, that is a big play and this time a Guardians turning point for another opportunity. He recorded the win after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings and threw 33 pitches.
“It was preparing mentally and remembering when I was a starter in the minor leagues and trying to do the same thing,” Clase said through a translator.
But there is no need to translate what the Guardians are doing. They split two games in New York and have no ambition of taking this series to a decisive game Monday night.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer @Latinosports.com. Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com Watch “Sports with Rich” live on Tuesday Nights at 8pm EST on The SLG Network/Youtube with Robert Rizzo Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify under The SLG Network.
