Oct 18-
The New York Yankees are headed to the American League Championship Series after a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. The Yankees once again were involved in some controversy before the first pitch, as they didn’t want to play last night (to get their bullpen fresh) and the Guardians did. There had been multiple articles come out about how the league needs the Yankees to win, the Guardians were overbooked at their hotel, and the Yankees didn’t allow ticket sales to people with Ohio addresses. All super fair things to do, but nonetheless, there was baseball to be played.
Yankees fans showed up by the millions to be there to support their team before game time, like any great fanbase would.
I thought I was alone here pic.twitter.com/AxCPX1GKNE
— JC (@JCBoogiee) October 18, 2022
Aaron Civale battled command issues early for the Guardians, really struggling to locate his cutter in the zone, and grooved one to Giancarlo Stanton in the Bottom of the 1st for a 3 Run Homerun. Yes it is true, this homerun wouldn’t have been a homerun at any other ballpark, but it still returned a xBA of .820. Also who could have imagined Aaron Judge striking out and then Stanton having the biggest swing of the Yankees season to date. Civale couldn’t make it out of the first as left hander Sam Hentges relieved him with only one out in the first inning, after giving up a dinker in the middle to the not fleet of foot, Josh Donaldson.
Giancarlo Stanton vs Aaron Civale#RepBX
Home Run (2) 💣
Exit velo: 107.5 mph
Launch angle: 20 deg
Proj. distance: 379 ftThis would have been a home run in 3/30 MLB ballparks
CLE (0) @ NYY (3)
🔻 1st pic.twitter.com/Rs93Shr1yk— Would it dong? (@would_it_dong) October 18, 2022
Aaron Judge finally decided to show up again in Game 5, and launched a middle-up Hentges hanging breaking ball to the backside gap for a solo shot in the 2nd, extending the Yankee lead to 4-0, in what feels insurmountable for the Guardians offense that has scored 5 runs only once in their 6 postseason games.
#ALLRISE. This was #AaronJudge's fourth HR in a winner-take-all game, the most in @MLB history. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/0XrYmZxRVk
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 18, 2022
The Yankees defense showed up and decided to make things interesting in the top of the third, as a Steven Kwan hit a bleeder down the line in left, that Oswaldo Cabrera and Aaron Hicks collided resulting in a base hit that took Hicks out of the game. After an Amed Rosario 4 pitch walk, it looked like the third could spiral out of control on the Bronx Bombers, but Nestor Cortes was able to limit damage, as only one run was able to score on a Jose Ramirez sac fly.
FIRE WHOEVER RUNS THE GUARDIANS REPLAY SYSTEM BECAUSE HOW DON’T YOU CHALLENGE THIS PLAY BOZOS??????
Francona was throwing out challenges left and right in Game Four but isn’t challenging this!?
Gimenez is CLEARLY safe! pic.twitter.com/wHarUdaOWC
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) October 18, 2022
In the bottom of the 5th, Anthony Rizzo drove in Gleyber Torres on a liner to right center from a James Karinchak offering to giving the Yankees a 5-1 lead.
Nestor Cortes was fantastic once again, effective and efficient at having hitters off balance, and wowing the simple minds of Yankees fans when he picks his leg up and doesn’t directly go to the plate (something Johnny Cueto has been doing for a decade already). Nestor went 5 strong, striking out 2 and only giving up 3 hits and one earned run in the biggest start of his life.
Things got absolutely out of control on the Twitter machine, between the Guardians and Yankees fans.
yeah im glad 9/11 happened man
— 😿 (@GuardiansPlsWin) October 18, 2022
The Guardians had multiple chances to stay close in this game, but they just didn’t have the offensive firepower that the Yankees did, and left a decent amount of runners on base. Both bullpens were solid, and it makes you wonder why Terry Francona didn’t just go with a bullpen game, when he wasn’t all in on Aaron Civale.
The Yankees are moving on to face the Houston Astros where we remember one of the more iconic playoff moments of the last decade.
One year ago today, Jose Altuve sent the Astros to the World Series with a walk-off home run vs Aroldis Chapman. pic.twitter.com/8oBbDRwYWZ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 19, 2020
Play Lightning Lineups for the rest of the MLB Playoffs. Sign up here
