CLE leads series 1-0
For all intents and purposes the Yankees season is on the brink in Game 2. Why? Because they face the Indians best pitcher, Corey Kluber in a game they must have after Trevor Bauer dominated them on the hill in Game 1, as the Indians came away with a 4-0 victory.
Bauer was awesome for the Indians. He had a Yankees offense that led all of baseball in home runs, and was second in RBI's, total bases and hits to just two singles in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. In fact, Bauer was so good he had a no-hitter going for him until Aaron Hicks broke it up with a double in the top of the sixth.
A lot of people questioned Terry Francona's decision to go with Bauer in Game 1, especially with guys like Kluber and Carlos Carrasco at the ready. But Francona, ever a manager who has the pulse of his players, said no to the skeptics and rolled with Bauer -- a pitcher he saw turn his career around in 2017 with 17 wins in 31 starts, including striking out a career high 196 batters. Bauer rewarded his manager's confidence. He mixed and matched nicely, keeping the Yankees off-balance, and more importantly getting them to chase pitches inside and tight, and high and away. The strategy, just don't leave it over the plate. Pretty simple.
Perhaps Bauer's biggest moment of the night came in the fourth inning after a passed ball on a strikeout of Aaron Judge. With the Indians clinging to a 1-0 lead, Bauer was able to get Gary Sanchez to bounce into a inning-killing double-play on the first pitch. While it was still early, the Indians had won.
It wasn't just Bauer who was the star of the show for Cleveland. This night also belonged to a certain former New York Met named Jay Bruce. Bruce, whom Cleveland acquired from the woebegone Metropolitans reminded New York fans watching back home what they missed.
He just barely missed an opposite field homer in the bottom of the second, as the ball caromed off the scoreboard in left for a lead-off double. Bruce would later score on a double-play ball to give the Indians the 1-0 advantage.
Two innings later after Edwin Encarnacion was walked, Bruce blasted a Sunny Gray fastball over the right field fall for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Indians lead.
But that was not all. Bruce would tack on one more RBI for good measure on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth off Jamie Garcia. Jay Bruce 4, Yankees 0.
Now the Yankees must win on Friday afternoon. CC Sabathia will go for the Bombers against the aforementioned Corey Kluber. In case you needed to be reminded Kluber won 18 games this year. He's a candidate for the Cy Young Award, and to top it off dominated the Yankees back in August. Last year in the postseason Kluber was 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts. He looks to pick up where he left off.
Sabathia is the perfect pitcher for Joe Girardi. He was tied for wins on the Yankees this year with 14, and is one of the few connections left to the Yankees last world championship in 2009. In 18 postseason starts, CC is 9-5. If ever was the time for Sabathia to be a stopper, now would be the perfect time.
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