CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians beat the Yankees at their own game on Monday as they matched them home run for home run.
Tuesday night they beat New York, 3-2, with their own brand of baseball. Call it Guards Ball if you will.
In a wild sixth inning, they scored three runs on a double steal, wild pitch, RBI double and a slew of infield hits. Then they unveiled a new closer in Cade Smith to seal the victory with a four-pitch save in the ninth.
It was Smith’s second save in as many days against the Yankees as he filled in for struggling closer Emmanuel Clase. Manager Stephen Vogt said after the game that Clase had his second straight off day Wednesday after throwing 30 pitches Sunday against the Pirates.
The Guardians have won five straight and 11 of their last 14 games. Tuesday’s victory moved them into first place in the AL Central, a half-game ahead of Detroit.
Vogt credited starter Tanner Bibee with a “gritty effort.”
“He was at 84 pitches after four innings, but got through six on a night when we needed him to give us six,” said Vogt. “Then boys responded and caused chaos.”
Yankee starter Will Warren, who befuddled the Guardians for five innings, started the sixth with a 2-0 lead. He was greeted by consecutive singles by Steven Kwan and Nolan Jones to put runners at first and second.
Mark Leiter Jr. (2-2) relieved and struck out Jose Ramirez to bring Kyle Manzardo to the plate. With Manzardo batting, Kwan and Jones worked a double steal. Kwan never slowed as he hit third and continued home on Leiter’s wild pitch, which was originally ruled a passed ball but changed after the game.
“That’s Guards Ball,” said Manzardo. “I saw the curveball coming out of the pitcher’s hand, but I didn’t swing because I was going to let those guys get their bags.
“Kwan never stopped.”
Said Vogt, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kwan run that fast.”
Manzardo, after Jones took third on the wild pitch, doubled to right to score Jones and tie the game 2-2. Carlos Santana’s ground out moved Manzardo to third and Bo Naylor kept the inning going with a walk.
Angel Martinez followed with bouncer up the middle that deflected off shortstop Anthony’s Volpe chest as Manzardo scored for a 3-2 lead. Daniel Schneemann added an infield hit over the mound to load the bases, but Tim Hill relieved to retire Brayan Rocchio on a fly ball to the track in right field.
Cleveland’s taxed bullpen did the rest. Tim Herrin pitched a scoreless seventh and Hunter Gaddis pitched around a ball-four pitch clock violation with two out in the eighth. Then came Smith with a four-pitch save as he retired Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells and Oswaldo Cabrera on fly balls.
“We’re super thin in the bullpen,” said Vogt. “Originally, the plan was not to go to Cade, but the way the game went we needed to use him. We had Clase down again today after throwing 30 pitches on Sunday because we wanted to give him two days. The boys stepped up. That’s what good bullpens do.”
Vogt was asked if the media should read anything into Smith earning saves the last two nights instead of Clase. He said, “No, not at all.”
It should be noted that Smith has pitched four times in the last five days.
Bibee’s early-season problems with the home run gave the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead.
Ben Rice hit Bibee’s first pitch of the night into the left field bleachers for a 1-0 lead. It was the eighth homer Bibee has allowed this year, tied for the most in the big leagues.
Rice ambushed Bibee’s 96 mph fastball for his sixth homer of the season.
Bibee (2-2, 5.19) was not efficient with his pitches in the early going.
Six batters into the game, he was at 30 pitches. He was at 60 pitches at the end of the third with the Yankees still leading, 1-0.
By the end of the fourth, Bibee was at 84 pitches, but he kept the Yankees at bay. Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked to start the inning. But Volpe hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Bibee struck out Dominguez to keep the game at 1-0.
“I haven’t see the numbers, but the Yankees had over 20 foul balls off him,” said Vogt. “They made him work. He made pitches all night.
“That’s as good as we’ve seen his stuff this year. ”
Warren, making his first start against Cleveland, was at 68 pitches through four innings.
Kwan opened the first with a bloop single to right, but was forced at second by Jones’ grounder. Ramirez forced Jones, but tried to pressure Warren by stealing second base. It didn’t work as Manzardo struck out.
Naylor reached first on Chisholm’s throwing error from second. Naylor stole second with one out. He moved to third on a ground out by Martinez and Schneemann followed with a walk.
The inning ended when Rocchio grounded into a force out at second.
The Yankees made it 2-0 in the sixth on Chisholm’s sacrifice fly.
Bibee started the inning at 90 pitches after a six-pitch fifth. Aaron Judge, who went 4 for 4 and is hitting .411, greeted him with a double to left for his third hit of the game. After Cody Bellinger grounded out, Goldschmidt reached on an infield single off Ramirez’s glove behind third.
Ramirez saved a run by knocking the ball down as Judge stopped a third. But Chisholm delivered Judge with a fly ball to center.
Bibee allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked three on 106 pitches, including 70 (66%) for strikes.
Warren allowed two runs on three hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked one.
The Guardians ended the game with a season-high four stolen bases.
Next
RHP Luis Ortiz (2-2, 5.48) vs. LHP Carlos Rodon (2-3, 4.34) Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. CLEGuardians.TV, WTAM/1100, WARF and the Guardians radio network will carry the game.
