Yankees Ride Gerrit Cole and Homers to a Win Over the Guardians

YANKEES 4, GUARDIANS 1 | YANKEES LEAD A.L. DIVISION SERIES, 1-0

Anthony Rizzo’s sixth-inning homer drove in Aaron Judge and provided two big insurance runs as the Yankees beat the Guardians in Game 1 of their division series on Tuesday.

A day before the Yankees hosted the Guardians for Game 1 of their American League division series, Manager Aaron Boone described Gerrit Cole’s regular-season home run woes as a “bugaboo.”

But Cole, who had allowed an A.L.-high 33 homers in 2022 — including 12 over his last eight starts — limited the Yankees’ biggest fear to a solo shot by Steven Kwan in a 4-1 victory. Rather than succumb to derailing dingers — and some early iffy defense — the right-handed Cole fought for six and one-thirds innings. Only Kwan’s third-inning blast did damage, as Cole struck out eight Guardians while allowing just one walk and four hits over 101 pitches.

“I thought Gerrit was really good,” Boone said. “I thought his breaking ball was really good. I thought he was unpredictable. I thought he did a good job of mixing pitches.”

The performance put Cole’s underwhelming — if not solid — regular season and his 2021 wild-card game flop in Boston behind him, at least for the time being. “It was very special for me,” said Cole, who exited his first home playoff start at Yankee Stadium to an ovation after previously hearing boos in the same building this year. “I certainly felt it and appreciated it. I thought they were in every pitch tonight, and what a wonderful experience to have them behind us.”

Gerrit Cole allowed one run on four hits in six and one-thirds innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

While home runs were an issue for Cole entering Tuesday’s contest, they hurt Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill far more.

Center fielder Harrison Bader started the scoring for the Yankees with a third-inning solo shot, the Bronxville, N.Y., native’s first homer since being acquired in an August deal with the Cardinals. First baseman Anthony Rizzo then chased the right-handed Quantrill from the game with a two-run, sixth-inning bomb into the second deck.

Bader, who grew up going to Yankees games and played in front of family and friends Tuesday, tried to downplay his local roots after the game during a lengthy news conference. “Truthfully, really, it was just another at-bat,” he insisted, but he ultimately relented. “No doubt it’s special. I will acknowledge that for a second.”

Catcher Jose Trevino also added a sacrifice fly after shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached third base in the fifth. At the time, that run gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead, and a sigh of relief after Josh Donaldson admired a ball that he thought had cleared the right field short porch. Instead, the ball hit the top of the wall and stayed in play. Cleveland threw Donaldson out at first after he realized his mistake too late.

The Yankees were able to win Game 1 despite the absence of a few key contributors, including infielder DJ LeMahieu and the right-handed reliever Scott Effross. Both didn’t make the team’s A.L.D.S. roster because of injuries.

“Just watching him, he is really compromised,” Boone said of LeMahieu, whose foot has long nagged him. “I just felt like it wasn’t the responsible thing to do.”

While there was always a chance LeMahieu wouldn’t make the cut — he hasn’t been ruled out for the entire postseason — Effross was a surprise exclusion from the A.L.D.S. roster at first. Then it was revealed that he needs Tommy John surgery.

Acquired from the Cubs in another pre-deadline move, Effross, a 28-year-old rookie, likely would have closed some postseason games for an already embattled bullpen.

“It’s a huge loss,” Boone said. “Feel terrible for him. He’s kind of heartbroken over it. It’s a blow. I mean, Scotty came over here and pitched really well. You know, I think he was going to have a really big role for us in our bullpen, but now we’ve just got to kind of support him and get him right. And hopefully everything goes well there. Somebody else, you know, has to pick up that slack.”

Gerrit Cole allowed one run on four hits in six and one-thirds innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

While home runs were an issue for Cole entering Tuesday’s contest, they hurt Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill far more.

Center fielder Harrison Bader started the scoring for the Yankees with a third-inning solo shot, the Bronxville, N.Y., native’s first homer since being acquired in an August deal with the Cardinals. First baseman Anthony Rizzo then chased the right-handed Quantrill from the game with a two-run, sixth-inning bomb into the second deck.

Bader, who grew up going to Yankees games and played in front of family and friends Tuesday, tried to downplay his local roots after the game during a lengthy news conference. “Truthfully, really, it was just another at-bat,” he insisted, but he ultimately relented. “No doubt it’s special. I will acknowledge that for a second.”

Catcher Jose Trevino also added a sacrifice fly after shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached third base in the fifth. At the time, that run gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead, and a sigh of relief after Josh Donaldson admired a ball that he thought had cleared the right field short porch. Instead, the ball hit the top of the wall and stayed in play. Cleveland threw Donaldson out at first after he realized his mistake too late.

The Yankees were able to win Game 1 despite the absence of a few key contributors, including infielder DJ LeMahieu and the right-handed reliever Scott Effross. Both didn’t make the team’s A.L.D.S. roster because of injuries. “Just watching him, he is really compromised,” Boone said of LeMahieu, whose foot has long nagged him. “I just felt like it wasn’t the responsible thing to do.”

While there was always a chance LeMahieu wouldn’t make the cut — he hasn’t been ruled out for the entire postseason — Effross was a surprise exclusion from the A.L.D.S. roster at first. Then it was revealed that he needs Tommy John surgery. Acquired from the Cubs in another pre-deadline move, Effross, a 28-year-old rookie, likely would have closed some postseason games for an already embattled bullpen.

“It’s a huge loss,” Boone said. “Feel terrible for him. He’s kind of heartbroken over it. It’s a blow. I mean, Scotty came over here and pitched really well. You know, I think he was going to have a really big role for us in our bullpen, but now we’ve just got to kind of support him and get him right. And hopefully everything goes well there. Somebody else, you know, has to pick up that slack.”

Josh Donaldson hit a ball off the top of the wall in the fifth inning, but believing it had gone over for a home run he rounded first. He was thrown out trying to return to the base.

Boone was also asked before the game about the team’s former closer, Aroldis Chapman, who was left off the division series roster after he failed to report to a mandatory workout last week. While Chapman struggled with injuries and inconsistency this season, and General Manager Brian Cashman had some cutting remarks about the former star reliever, Boone did not entirely rule out bringing him back if the Yankees were to advance past this round. “We’ll see,” Boone said. “I mean, for now, he’s staying away and I know he’s throwing down in Miami. But for now, he’s away.”

On Tuesday, the Yankees’ relief core managed without Effross or Chapman, as Jonathan Loáisiga, Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes — the latter two fresh off their own injuries — held the Guardians at bay after Cole’s departure.

The Yankees have said that they will mix and match with a bullpen that is missing several pivotal pieces. Game 1 followed an ideal script, but, as Boone noted again, “It’s all hands on deck, and everyone is going to have to play an important role on a given night.” Inside Pitch

While the Yankees are without a few key players, one injured contributor has been cleared to return with Matt Carpenter, a veteran infielder who had bolstered the lineup earlier this season, finally coming back from a foot injury. “He looks really good,” Boone said of Carpenter. “You know, he’s had a number of live at-bats, really, for the last week or 10 days now. And he looks really good, and feels really good, especially at the plate.” Carpenter did not play in Game 1.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/sports/baseball/yankees-guardians-alds-game-1.html