The New York Yankees went back-to-back. The Cleveland Guardians punched back, then delivered the knockout blow.
One out away from going down 3–0 to the New York Yankees, Guardians outfielder Jhonkensy Noel clobbered a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. That set the stage for second-year outfielder David Fry, who smacked a walk-off two-run homer off Clay Holmes in the 10th inning to secure the Guardians' 7–5 win over New York at Progressive Field in one of the most entertaining playoff baseball games in recent memory.
The Guardians have boasted the best bullpen in baseball all year long but nearly fumbled the game away. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back homers off three-time All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the eighth inning, spoiling Matthew Boyd's solid start and taking the wind out of the sellout crowd in Cleveland.
It looked like Judge, the Yankees captain whose only blemish on his resume is a lack of signature October moments, found one in Cleveland. But the Guardians fought back and crowned two postseason heroes of their own.
Here are three takeaways from the Yankees' drama-filled Game 3 win:
David Fry's dream season continues
Two-and-a-half years ago, a player to be named later was traded to the Guardians as part of a trade that sent reliever J.C. Mejia to the Milwaukee Brewers. That player to be named later is now a postseason hero in Cleveland.
Fry is a 28-year-old journeyman who came out of nowhere this season to log an .804 OPS and represent Cleveland at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. He had already delivered his share of playoff heroics by hitting a go-ahead home run in Game 4 of the ALDS with the Guardians needing a win to avoid elimination against the Detroit Tigers. He then topped himself by walking off Thursday’s Game 3, taking Holmes deep on a 96.4-mph sinker in the bottom of the 10th, sending Guardians fans into a frenzy at Progressive Field and preventing Cleveland from going down in a 3–0 hole in the ALCS.
That bat flip was one to remember, as well.
Trusted closers implode
Unhittable all summer long, Clase has run into trouble in October.
Clase allowed five earned runs in 74 appearances during the entire regular season. He’s now surrendered seven runs in five postseason appearances after giving up three runs in the eighth inning of Game 3. He also took the loss in Game 2 of the ALDS and surrendered a rare run in 1 2/3 innings of work in Game 4 of that series before buckling down to record the save in that contest and pitching two clean innings in the Game 5 clincher over the Tigers.
Entering Thursday, the Guardians held a 77–2 record this season when leading after seven innings. They are 78–2 after Thursday night—although it wasn't exactly the way Vogt drew it up.
The Yankees had their share of bullpen woes, as well. Luke Weaver had notched 10 strikeouts and allowed just one run in eight postseason innings before he surrendered the game-tying blast to Noel in the ninth. And Clay Holmes, demoted from the closer role in September, served up the game-winning homer to Fry.
Yankees’ baserunning woes finally bite them
New York won the first two games of the ALCS without playing fundamentally sound baseball. Far from it, actually—especially on the base paths.
Those mental miscues continued into the top of the second inning of Game 3.
The Yankees had another early-game rally cooking with two runners on base and one out in the second until Boyd caught Jose Trevino drifting off first base and picked him off. That stopped the potential rally in its tracks, limiting New York to one run in what appeared to be a promising second inning.
It continued a concerning trend for the Yankees. In their 6–3 win over the Guardians in Game 2, Jazz Chisholm was picked off second base following a leadoff double, and Anthony Rizzo got caught in a rundown at third base to end the sixth.
Those mistakes finally came back to haunt New York on Thursday night. Every baserunner counts in October, especially in a game decided in extra innings.
