ALCS Game 4: Yankees (Gil) at Guardians (Williams)

I think your math is off. If Rodon gets blown up tomorrow after a loss tonight, you're down 2-3 with alllllll the momentum of Cleveland's side. Cole is pitching just to live another day. I'm saying if we lost tonight, and Rodon blows it tomorrow, I don't have a lot of faith that we can win games 6 & 7.

Probably Stanton. 

I agree...he's playing like he wants that trophy!

Stars of the game tonight is going to take awhile. Let's see...

Honorable mentions to Cousins, who pitched a solid 6th, and left Holmes with 2 on and just one out to get in the 6th...and he couldn't do it, allowing two doubles and letting both inherited runners score. Hill for another "guts like a thief" performance in the 5th, giving up a hit, but fooling J. Naylor with another sidearm sinker just low to get the chase for the K to end the inning. Mark Leiter...just coming into a close game in the 7th and not falling apart immediately after not pitching for almost 3 weeks was impressive, but he gave up a walk, then barely got Noel on a flyout against the wall in the left field corner, then got Gimenez to fish for a splitter outside to get out of the jam in the 7th. B. Naylor doubled against him to start the 8th, but he nearly got out of it on a grounder, a popup and a tapper back to him...that he booted, and then threw away to toss to Rizzo to tie the game. On the hitting side, HMs to Torres for two more hits, the first setting up Soto's 2 run HR to give the Yanks an early lead, and the 2nd in the 9th to plate a critical insurance run. Wells with the solo HR in the 2nd to answer back the Guardians run in the 1st, and great blocking and receiving all night, especially on the 3-2 change to Thomas that might have been outside, getting the call for the key 1st out. That strike call might have kept the 9th from getting away from the Yanks and Kahnle altogether. Berti for pinch running for Rizzo in the 9th and carrying home the eventual winning run, and the final play of the game, keeping his head and not rushing the recovery and throw on the speedy Rochhio for the final out. Volpe for 2 hits and a run, including an excellent inside out single to right in the 9th, helping build the winning rally. And Luis Gil, who battled through 4 innings, again without his best stuff or command, and bent but didn't break, finishing with a flourish on a 9-pitch 1-2-3. It looks like nothing in the box score, but that's a nice job in very tough circumstances in the playoffs after not pitching for 20 days. Finally, Soto with the 2-run HR of Williams in the first, answering the two massive HRs of Noel and Fry that handed the Yanks a crushing defeat in game 3, immediately lifting last night's gloom before starter Gavin Williams could get an out, as well as a leadoff walk before the Stanton bomb in the 6th.

3rd star of the game: Verdugo, for two excellent plays in left field, tracking down Rocchio's drive to the track in left center with Hedges on the move from first with 2 down. Only a .270 XBA, but it seemed harder than that off the bat. Then he went into the corner in left to grab Noel deep drive to the wall with one out and the tying run on 2nd in the 7th. Again, the XBA was low, but the play seemed a lot harder than .040. Finally, fighting off Clase's tough cutter up and in for a dribbler to Rocchio that would've scored Berti no matter what even if Rocchio hadn't booted it, driving in the eventual winning run. Verdugo wound 0-4, but he had a fine game.

2nd star of the game: Stanton again, for the huge 3-run HR in the 6th off the untouchable Cade Smith that gave the Yanks a 4-run lead. The Yanks were gasping for air since the Indians got their 2nd run in the 3rd, and Stanton's HR allowed them to breathe easy...for about an inning and a half. Postseason Giancarlo continues his latest playoffs run.

1st star of the game: Kahnle. He wasn't perfect and barely survived, giving up a walk and a bloop single with one out, before getting the Bo Naylor to flyout to right center, and Rocchio to groundout to Berti, who bobbled but recovered for to get the 3rd out. Good enough for the crucial save to give the Yanks control in the series again, when Boone clearly did not want to use Weaver for the 4th time in 5 days.

Yankees could be the first team to clinch as the dodgers lost and they will be going back to LA off day tomorrow there.

Mets def have a shot at the upset as the dodgers are throwing a bullpen game again it looks like.

That one might go 7.


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