NEW YORK — In an exciting opener of the AL Championship Series, Juan Soto’s home run was pivotal during a three-run third inning for the Yankees, leading them to a 5-2 victory over the Guardians on Monday night. Carlos Rodón secured his first postseason win, and New York capitalized on Cleveland’s pitching struggles, which included several wild pitches.
The Guardians set a postseason record by throwing two run-scoring wild pitches in a single inning and matched a record with five overall during the game. Cleveland’s pitchers struggled with control, walking six batters in just nine pitches and totaling nine walks in the game.
Giancarlo Stanton contributed to the Yankees’ offense with his 13th career postseason home run, as the team aims for a record 41st AL pennant. So far this postseason, New York batters have been granted a remarkable 36 walks in just five games.
Rodón was sharp after the Yankees’ only defeat in the Division Series, holding Cleveland to two singles until Brayan Rocchio hit a home run in the sixth. Meanwhile, Steven Kwan kept the Guardians competitive by extending his postseason hitting streak to an impressive 11 games, capping it with an RBI single in the eighth inning against Clay Holmes.
In a high-pressure situation with runners on the corners, Luke Weaver stepped in and shined. He struck out pinch-hitter Will Brennan, forced José Ramírez into a groundout, and completed the game by recording three consecutive strikeouts after a leadoff walk in the ninth, thereby securing his fourth save this postseason.
Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, where historical trends suggest that teams winning the first game in a 2-3-2 series format have won 66 out of 99 times.
A packed crowd of 47,264, which included pop sensation Taylor Swift, witnessed Soto’s first playoff home run with the Yankees as he connected on a high slider from Alex Cobb, sending it deep into the right-center bullpen.
Making his first postseason appearance in 11 years, Cobb faced difficulties, walking the bases loaded in the pivotal third inning. Rookie reliever Joey Cantillo struggled as well, finishing with four wild pitches—a near-record for a postseason game, just shy of Rick Ankiel’s five in the 2000 NL Division Series.
Rodón excelled on the mound, striking out nine batters without issuing a walk, achieving 25 missed swings out of 53, which is among the highest misses recorded in a postseason game since pitch tracking began in 2008. Notably, his pitches were so effective that catcher Austin Wells had to make three tosses to first base to complete strikeout outs.
Cobb’s playoff record slipped to 0-2 as he made only his fifth start this season, marred by injuries. In his brief outing of 2 2/3 innings, he managed to throw 36 of 65 pitches for strikes but allowed three runs with five hits and three walks.
In player news, Yankees’ left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, recovering from a flexor strain in his pitching elbow, is slated to throw his second bullpen session on Wednesday and is a candidate for the World Series roster if the Yankees progress.
Looking ahead, the Yankees will send RHP Gerrit Cole to the mound for his third postseason start on Wednesday after a win against Kansas City in the Division Series. Cole holds a postseason record of 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA this year. On the opposing side, RHP Tanner Bibee will start for the Guardians, boasting a 2.08 ERA without a decision in two Division Series appearances against Detroit. Bibee previously pitched at Yankee Stadium during his second major league outing in May 2023, where he allowed two runs across 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision game.
