Yankees stun Guardians Emmanuel Clase with back-to-back Judg Stanton home runs
New York Yankees fans were this close to ruining message boards across the internet after the team’s lackluster performance in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians. In fact, we already did when Jose Trevino made an out on the bases and ruined the second inning.
But then came the eighth inning. The Yankees were four outs away from losing the game, but Juan Soto worked a walk and forced Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to go to the bullpen. His panic moves have helped the Yankees in the first two games, but it was hard to argue with this one: he was going to the league’s best closer, Emmanuel Clase, to face Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Only problem? Clase has not been great this postseason. He allowed four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers. For perspective, he allowed five earned runs in 74 1/3 regular season innings.
Whatever the problem with Clase, it all continued to unravel for the right-hander. after backing Judge into a corner on a 1-2 count, he left a cutter over the middle of the plate that the towering Yankees star blasted over the right field wall. It was an opposite-field rocket and the two-run shot tied the game, silencing Progressive Field. Stunned. No words. Judge was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before that at-bat, too.
