Yankees Pen Implodes as Guardians Rally in Ninth

GUARDIANS 6 – YANKEES 5
CLE Leads Series 2-1

Questions abound about the Yankees bullpen and decision making after the Cleveland Guardians rallied from down 5-3 to plate three runs in a stunning bottom of the ninth to swipe Game 3 of this Best-of-Five ALDS. The Guardians now lead the series 2-1 and can send the Yankees home early with a win Sunday night in Progressive Field.

Already beleaguered by injuries in the pen, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone decided not to bring in Clay Holmes for the ninth inning, instead opting to stay with Wandy Peralta, who had pitched 1-1/3 innings already, and watched those plans blow in stunning fashion.

The Guardians used the kind of small ball technique that led them to a surprising AL Central title and a Wild Card series win versus Tampa Bay. First Myles Straw and Steven Kwan both singled with one out. With the Cleveland faithful starting to rock, Boone removed a tiring Peralta for Clark Schmidt, not Holmes.

Amed Rosario then slapped a soft single to left, scoring Straw to cut the Yankees lead down to 5-4. Jose Ramirez followed with an infield single. Finally, with two out, Oscar Gonzalez won it with a sharp single to center on a 1-2 pitch, driving in both Kwan and Rosario to send Cleveland to a thrilling 6-5 victory.

The loss dampened what was looking like a huge Yankee night. Both Aaron Judge and Oswaldo Cabrera hit two-run bombs that catapulted the Yankees to a 4-2 lead. Harrison Bader’s solo shot in the seventh padded that lead to 5-3.

Luis Severino also gave the Yankees 5.2 solid innings, allowing only three runs on eight hits. He gave New York the chance. But all anyone could talk about was the blown opportunity and why Boone didn’t bring in Holmes, who is his closer.

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