CLEVELAND — Tanner Bibee shrugged off a rocky start to guide the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-2 triumph over the New York Yankees Tuesday night, bolstering their winning streak to five games. The Guardians, finding their groove at home, now boast an impressive 7-1 record in Cleveland.
Bibee (2-2) faced early adversity when New York’s Ben Rice smashed his first pitch for a home run. However, Bibee steadied himself, completing six innings while allowing two runs on five hits. Despite the challenging beginning, his performance secured a series win for the Guardians.
In contrast, Yankees’ star Aaron Judge put on an exceptional display, going four-for-four including three singles and a double. With his stunning effort, Judge cemented his status at the top of the league with a .411 batting average during what was his 12th career game with four hits.
For the Guardians, closer Cade Smith provided another solid ninth inning, requiring only four pitches to earn his second save in as many days. Cleveland’s manager, Stephen Vogt, explained that their regular All-Star closer, Emmanuel Clase, was unavailable due to workload concerns after pitching three consecutive days and throwing 30 pitches on Sunday.
Before Cleveland turned the game around, Yankees’ pitcher Warren was mostly dominant, holding them to just one hit and a 2-0 lead through the first five innings. However, a pair of singles to start the sixth inning ended his night.
The Guardians engineered an unconventional rally against reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (2-2). After fanning José Ramírez, Leiter was part of a double steal attempt led by Cleveland. As Steven Kwan approached third base, a wild pitch eluded catcher J.C. Escarra, allowing Kwan to slide home safely, narrowing the score to 2-1.
Kyle Manzardo then delivered an RBI double with some flair, nearly snagged by Judge. Manzardo later scored thanks to Angel Martinez’s infield single that Yankee’s Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe couldn’t handle.
Rice had set the early tone, connecting on Bibee’s first pitch, marking his sixth homer of the season and the Yankees’ 41st. Bibee has struggled with the long ball, conceding eight homers across five starts.
In rehabilitation news, Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu had an excellent outing in his minor league reassignments, hitting 3-for-3 with a home run and a double as part of his path back from a strained calf at Double-A Somerset.
In a standout moment of the game, Judge covered significant ground in right field, making an impressive diving catch to potentially save extra bases from Brayan Rocchio in the fifth inning.
Judge continues his notable run of form, reaching base in 20 straight games while hitting .413 over that duration.
The series will conclude with a day game on Wednesday, featuring Yankees right-hander Carlos Rodón (2-3, 4.34 ERA) against Cleveland’s Luis Ortiz (2-2, 5.48 ERA).