The stage is set for the ALCS, as the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians face off with a place in the World Series at stake.
A Storied Postseason Rivalry
In this best-of-seven series, the Yankees will have home-field advantage, with the Guardians visiting the Bronx for game one on Monday night. The pair have a great history in the postseason, and this is now the second most frequent playoff matchup in MLB history. They most recently met in the ALDS in 2022, which the Yankees won in five games. New York have won the last three playoff series against Cleveland, with their last loss coming in the 2007 ALDS.
It sets up an intriguing battle with two high-performing bullpens. The Yankees have more star power in their line up with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, but the Guardians have plenty of threats of their own. This includes José Ramírez, who was one home run shy of a 40/40 season.
Yankees Defeat Royals in 4
The Yankees advanced to the ALCS with a 3-1 series victory over the Kansas City Royals in the Division Series. Though the Royals put up a tough fight, it was simply a series the Yankees could not lose, and they closed it out on the road with their ace Gerrit Cole on the mound.
It was a rollercoaster of a game one with five lead changes. This was the most in a single playoff game in MLB history. Cole was not his usual self and lasted just 5.0 innings after surrendering a lot of hard-hit balls. Defensive errors almost cost the home team, with Anthony Volpe miscuing a throw which would have been a double play. Instead, the Royals took the lead on the next play. The Yankees eventually went ahead for the final time courtesy of Alex Verdugo as they won 6-5.
However, it came controversially as a replay review adjudged that the initial safe call of a Jazz Chisholm Jr stolen base stood. Many angles suggested he was tagged before he reached the bag, but there was not enough substantial evidence to overturn the decision. Chisholm Jr would score the winning run from second base.
Plenty of missed opportunities plagued the Yankees in this game, and the continued postseason woes of their MVP Aaron Judge did not help. But they were able to ride on the strong showing of Gleyber Torres, who hit an early go-ahead home run, and Verdugo, who recorded two hits and a walk. Juan Soto also delivered in his first playoff game in pinstripes, going 3-5.
A 4-2 loss in game two with Carlos Rodon on the mound meant a squandered opportunity to take a commanding 2-0 lead back to Kansas City. It was even more frustrating given the struggles of Royals’ ace Cole Ragans, who lasted 4.0 innings and gave up four walks. Rodón lost control after a strong start, ultimately pitching 3.2 innings. It meant game three was a pivotal matchup, with the winner in a strong position to advance. The Yankees came through with a narrow 3-2 win, led by the brilliance of Giancarlo Stanton. The DH was essentially his side’s only offensive spark, producing three of their overall four hits, including an eighth-inning go-ahead home run.
Starting pitching had not been a strength for the Yankees in this series until game four, as Cole went seven innings and gave up just one earned run in a 3-1 win. The visitors got ahead early in this potential clincher, as Torres continued his hot streak with a leadoff double. Soto scored him on a single to get them on the board in the first. Judge struggled for the most part in this series but produced much better at-bats in what was a very welcome sight for manager Aaron Boone.
Whilst the Yankees will need to rely on their captain going forward, it was the exploits of Stanton and the bullpen which were crucial to victory. In 15.2 innings, the bullpen, led by Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes and closer Luke Weaver, held the Royals scoreless with 15 strikeouts. Should they continue to perform at this elite level, the Yankees will be confident in their chances moving forward.
Guardians Defeat Tigers in 5
The Guardians advanced to the ALCS with a 3-2 series win over the Detroit Tigers, ending their magical season. It was a tough blow for Detroit, as they were one win away from advancing with their ace on the mound. However, the AL Central champions prevailed to set up a series with the Yankees.
Many wondered if the Tigers were out of their depth following a crushing 7-0 loss in game one. They were hit for five runs in the first inning and had nothing to show for on offense. The Guardians have a superior lineup and made sure to showcase that with an early outburst to leave their mark. Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee pitched 4.2 innings allowing four hits and a walk. His opposite number Tyler Holton served as an opener, but could not record an out before being pulled.
It was Detroit’s turn to pitch a shutout in game two as they levelled the series with a 3-0 win. They had their special weapon in Tarik Skubal on the mound and he pitched 7.0 scoreless innings allowing just three hits and striking out eight. The left-hander is almost certain to win this season’s Cy Young award.
Pitching was dominant in this game, with the game scoreless until the top of the ninth. The Cleveland bullpen was the best in the league during the regular season, and they hugely demonstrated their strengths. Emmanuel Clase was also the best closer and he came in to keep the score at zero. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Tigers hit him hard. With two outs, the visiting side hit back-to-back singles to set up runners on first and third.
Kerry Carpenter, who had earlier entered the game as a pinch hitter, delivered the go-ahead blast with a three-run homer. With the healthy advantage, the Tigers were able to close it out by retiring the side in order at the bottom of the ninth.
A repeat scoreline in game three saw the Guardians shut down for a second consecutive time. The Tigers struck early as Riley Greene recorded an RBI in the first. It was another strong bullpen day for the side, opened by Keider Montero. Two more insurance runs came in the third and sixth innings which was more than enough against a Guardians offense which mustered just six hits.
On the verge of elimination, Cleveland managed to force a game five with a 5-4 win. The lead was exchanged multiple times in this one, but it was a crucial two-run seventh inning for the Guardians which proved decisive. This included a season-saving home run from David Fry which scored two to put them back in the lead. Fry provided another pivotal moment in the ninth, producing a sacrifice bunt which scored another run. Detroit threatened at the bottom of the inning, but Clase held on to record the save.
Back home in Cleveland, the Guardians advanced to the ALCS in the most surprising fashion, winning 7-3. Once again they were met with the fearsome Skubal, who put the matchup in the Tigers’ favour. Detroit held a 1-0 lead, helped by Skubal’s four scoreless innings. However, things began to falter in the fifth. With the bases loaded, José Ramírez was plunked to drive in the tying run. This was the first run allowed by Skubal in the postseason.
After such a strong outing, Skubal then gave up a grand slam to Lane Thomas, which blew the game wide open. It was the first grand slam allowed in the pitcher’s career. A stunned Tigers side managed to cut the lead to two but were unable to stop the Guardians offense from tacking on runs against a tired bullpen.
After a remarkable second half of the season and postseason up until this point, there was no coming back for the Tigers this time. Their campaign would end with three outs recorded by Clase. For the Guardians, it was time to celebrate as they earned a shot at the World Series against the Yankees.
