By the time they arrived at Progressive Field on Sunday, the Yankees had already secured their fifth consecutive series win, setting the stage for what could have been a dramatic sweep against the Cleveland Rangers.
However, despite battling back to level the series deciding game in the ninth inning and even taking a two-run lead in the 10th, the Yankees found themselves stunned by an 8-7 late inning rout in the bottom of the inning.
Yankees Take The Lead
The final blow came from former New York Mets infielder Andres Gimenez, whose one-out sacrifice fly to Caleb Ferguson sealed the win for the Guardians, leaving the Yankees to rue several defensive errors earlier in the inning.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the disappointment, emphasizing the team's competitive spirit while acknowledging missed opportunities on defense. Despite the setback, Boone remained focused on the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays, stressing the importance of moving forward.
The Yankees had taken a 7-5 lead in the top of the 10th inning thanks to Anthony Rizzo's timely two-run single. However, the Guardians quickly narrowed the gap with a run of their own courtesy of a Jose Ramirez single off Ferguson.
Josh Naylor stepped to the plate next, connecting on a potential double play grounder to Gleyber Torres, who executed a sliding stop and threw to second for the first out. However, an error during the transfer by Anthony Volpe dashed any hopes of catching Naylor at first base.
Volpe commented that they are constantly practicing such plays, reflecting on the missed opportunity. Despite his crucial performance to tie the game in the ninth inning, connecting on an important game-tying double against Emmanuel Clase, Volpe expressed his disappointment and acknowledged the team's frustration.
David Fry nearly sealed the game with a long fly to left-center field, but it grazed the top of the wall, putting runners on second and third for Will Brennan. With the infield shortened, Brennan connected on a grounder to Torres, who couldn't field it cleanly, failing on his first attempt to pick it up at his feet.
Torres expressed regret for his attempt to stop the runner, emphasizing his intention to execute the play at the plate. However, he acknowledged a momentary lapse, resulting in a late throw that was too late.
Love our beautiful second baseman.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/RhfX6vemBH
- Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 14, 2024
The Guardians Act at the Last Minute
The loss pushed the Yankees' record in games decided by one run this season to 6-1, overshadowing Volpe's contribution in the ninth inning. After Estevan Florial's pop-up homer put the Yankees ahead in the eighth off Luke Weaver, Volpe came back to even the score in the ninth.
With the Yankees on the verge of the final out, Volpe faced a 100 mph cutter from Clase, sending it into the gap between right and center field to bring in Oswaldo Cabrera from first base and tie the game at five runs.
It was Volpe's third hit of the game (as well as a walk-off), highlighting his impressive start to the season in the MLB.
In the early stages of the game, the Yankees advanced with a solid 4-2 lead after four innings, thanks to a colossal three-run home run by Aaron Judge and Jose Trevino's first homer of the season, both off Guardians left-hander Logan Allen, reaching an impressive 450 feet.
However, Nestor Cortes, after a flawless eight-inning shutout in his last appearance against the Miami Marlins, was unable to replicate his performance on Sunday.
His time on the mound lasted just four and a third innings, during which he gave up four runs on five hits, plus one base on balls and one hit, while striking out six batters.
Most of the damage against Cortes was inflicted by two powerful swings: a two-run home run by Ramirez in the third inning and a solo home run by the ninth batter, Gabriel Arias, in the fifth.
When Nick Burdi took over for Cortes, he allowed an inherited run to cross the plate, evening the score. However, he managed to get out of the precarious situation with a pair of strikeouts, showing his prowess with fast pitches that reached 98 and 99 mph.
Still, it was the Guardians who had the last word, inflicting a devastating blow on the Yankees as they departed the city.
