The New York Yankees snatched Game 1 of the ALDS from the Cleveland Guardians with a 4-1 victory on Tuesday.
Entering the Divisional Series, the Yankees were prepared to enter battle despite multiple setbacks on the roster. They were informed that reliever Scott Effross would require Tommy John and DJ LeMahieu’s toe inflammation continues to linger.
Moreover, Matt Carpenter was named in the ALDS roster but did not appear in Game 1. He has nursed a fractured foot for quite a while and is expected to play a key role. It is presumed that he will serve in a platoon role, whether off the bench or as a designated hitter. Despite it being short-handed the Yankees still took their first game in these MLB Playoffs.
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Let’s take look at a few takeaways from their victory, including twin gems from Gerrit Cole and Cal Quantrill and Steven Kwan, who broke the tie in the third with a solo shot.
Gerrit Cole proved that he is still the New York Yankees’ ace
Cole induced a career-high of 33 home runs in the regular season. Despite surpassing Ron Guidry for the franchise single-season record, his ERA rose to 3.50 due to the long ball. It was in Cole’s best interest to prove that his stuff is still at its peak and give the fans what they want. The 32-year-old kept an explosive Cleveland offense in check and surrendered just four runs.
The veteran ace put away eight Guardians via the strikeout until his pitch count got out of hand. Out of 101 pitches, 63 of them landed for strikes and granted just one walk through six and a third.
Considering that Cole has been susceptible to loud contact, the Guardians were just the lineup to face. He took immediate control of each at-bat and diminished any vulnerability. A ton of swings and misses were induced by his breaking balls and his four-seam was sharp as ever.
The ace was subsequently followed by three exceptional relievers from the bullpen. Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and Clay Holmes closed out a statement win in an efficient way.
Yankees offense did the job despite Aaron Judge’s struggles
The offense wasn’t too dazzling but kept a comforting lead for their pitchers to shine. The Cleveland pitching staff contained the Bombers’ offense aside from twin blasts by Anthony Rizzo and Harrison Bader. The heart of the order was simply idle as the team’s production was led by two hits from Josh Donaldson.
Aaron Judge continues to struggle in the postseason following a historical season. The California native is a .225 career hitter in the postseason which is quite concerning for a Judge-centric lineup. The 30-year-old was unmatched by Cleveland’s arms and struck out three times while reaching base just once via walk.
- Aaron Judge stats (postseason): .225/.337/.830, 11 HR, 22 RBI
It may be that buzz regarding his 62nd home run manipulated his approach. Breaking Roger Maris’ mark was the focus for nearly two weeks until he was mobbed by his teammates in Choctaw Stadium. Judge has accounted for nearly 20% of the Yankees’ runs in the regular season and it’s vital that his success carries through the postseason.