NEW YORK (AP) — Sloppy play has the Cleveland Guardians facing a big deficit the American League Championship Series.
Cleveland's rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio and right fielder Will Brennan committed costly errors Tuesday night, allowing runs to score as the New York Yankees beat the Guardians 6-3 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Guardians are playing in their sixth ALCS and face a two-game deficit for the first time as the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Thursday night after an off day.
Rocchio, who committed 12 errors in 462 chances during the regular season, dropped a pop up off the bat of slugger Aaron Judge in the first inning, allowing New York’s first run to score. With runners on second and third, Rocchio took several steps to the right side of the infield and was to the right side of second when Judge’s pop-up caromed off the webbing of his glove and allowed Gleyber Torres to score, putting Cleveland in an early hole.
“Obviously I wasn’t able to catch it,” Rocchio said through a translator. “No excuse, I need to make that play, but I think I was in position the best way because I thought I was under the ball and (at the) last minute I was leaning towards second base.”
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt didn't think it was an easy play.
“That ball was up in the air for quite a while with the wind, tough play,” Vogt said. “Those things happen.”
Brennan, who made a sliding catch in foul territory on Giancarlo Stanton for the second out of the first inning, struggled to play a carom on a double by Anthony Rizzo in the sixth after Cleveland had cut its deficit to 3-2 an inning earlier.
Rizzo's line drive that bounded off the low side wall and deflected to Brennan. The ball went off Brennan’s hand and that allowed Anthony Volpe to score from first, extending New York's lead to 4-2.
“I just kind of sped up knowing that Volpe can run a little bit,” Brennan said. “Just kind of misplayed it a little bit some. Something I don’t normally do and it just happened to happen in that situation.”
Brennan played 80 of his 98 games in right field and committed two errors in 132 chances during the regular season. Overall, he committed two errors in 161 chances.
The miscues by Rocchio and Brennan came after Cleveland committed just one error in its first six postseason games.
“We didn’t play Cleveland baseball today,” left fielder Steven Kwan said. “We got a couple of errors. Obviously we pride ourselves on our defense. So if we want to win some games, we’re going to have to play Guard ball.”
The Guardians committed 87 errors in the regular season and were tied with Tampa Bay for ninth in the American League.
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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, right, runs the bases behind Gleyber Torres after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez catches a pop fly by New York Yankees' Austin Wells during the fifth inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez )
Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan catches a fly ball by New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton during the first inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio misses catching a pop fly by New York Yankees' Aaron Judge during the first inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. Rocchio was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge sent the ball soaring toward Monument Park and Gleyber Torres tagged up at first base.
“That was disrespect out of Gleyber, man,” Judge said with a smile. “He’s seen me hit 58 of those things this year.”
Judge's first home run of the postseason broke the tension, a two-run, seventh-inning drive that helped boost the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 AL Championship Series lead.
“I'm a little disappointed in Gleyber for not knowing Judge’s pop there,” Anthony Rizzo said. “We were ribbing him a lot about that. It’s a big swing for Judgey.”
Judge, who entered with just one RBI in the playoffs, hit a sacrifice fly in a two-run second that put the Yankees ahead 3-0 — after Cleveland intentionally walked Juan Soto to load the bases.
“You want to try to get a double-play ball,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “You want to try to get two outs with one pitch.”
Judge, who led the major leagues with 58 homers and 144 RBIs, was understanding.
“I would probably walk him, too,” he said.
With New York leading 4-2 lead in the seventh, the likely AL MVP drove a fastball at the letters from Hunter Gaddis 414 feet to center for his 14th career postseason home run.
“It was a big swing to kind of give us that cushion,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The bench was pretty pumped when that happened.”
Judge also was good-natured about Torres' decision to tag up.
“You never know on these windy, chilly nights what that ball is going to do when you hit it to center here,” he said. “but the ghosts were pulling out there to Monument Park, that’s for sure.”
In a matchup of aces who had off nights, Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee got just just four outs in the shortest start of his professional career and an erratic Gerrit Cole was chased after four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
“Just got to do better, got to do better,” the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner said.
Winner Clay Holmes, Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
José Ramírez hit a ninth-inning home run off Luke Weaver, just the second earned run New York’s bullpen has allowed over 23 1/3 innings in six postseason games.
After a day off, Game 3 is Thursday in Cleveland. The Yankees lead the ALCS 2-0 for the first time since 2009 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Torres reached base leading off for the fifth time in the playoffs and had three hits. Rizzo had two hits and is 3 for 7 in two games since returning from a pair of fractured fingers that caused him to miss the Division Series.
Rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio and right fielder Will Brennan committed run-scoring errors for the Guardians. Rocchio dropped Judge’s first-inning popup, allowing Torres to score.
“No excuse, I need to make that play,” Rocchio said through an interpreter. “I thought I was under the ball and last minute I was leaning towards second base.”
After Cleveland closed to 3-2, Brennan bobbled the ball when he tried for a barehand pickup of Rizzo’s sixth-inning double that caromed off the low wall down the right-field line. Anthony Volpe, who had been on first, sprinted home.
Steven Kwan extended his Cleveland-record postseason hitting streak to 12 games.
Alex Verdugo had a opposite-field RBI double in the two-run second that glanced off a shoulder of left field umpire Vic Carapazza and went down the line.
Cole escaped two-on, one-out trouble in the third and then a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth when pinch-hitter David Fry fouled out and Rocchio took a knuckle curve at the top of the strike zone for a called third strike in a nine-pitch at-bat.
Cleveland cut its deficit to 3-2 in the fifth when Josh Naylor hit a sacrifice fly and, after Holmes relieved with the bases loaded, Will Brennan grounded into a run-scoring forceout. Holmes struck out Austin Hedges on low sinker to leave the bases loaded.
“They kind of made a little push there and we were able to stop it,” Holmes said.
Cleveland went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners. The Guardians are 1 for 11 RISP in the series.
“We’re one swing of the bat away from taking the lead in that game,” Vogt said. “We’re one swing of the bat from being right back in it. That is who we are. We don’t quit. We just need to keep being us.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb was removed from the roster with a lower back strain sustained in the opener and replaced by RHP Ben Lively.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt starts Thursday at Cleveland. He allowed two runs and four hits over 4 2/3 innings in Division Series Game 3, wasting a 2-0 lead before New York won 3-2. He faced the Guardians once this year, pitching five scoreless innings before allowing a pair of runs — one unearned — in the sixth inning of a 3-2 victory. Cleveland wouldn't commit to a starter but LHP Matthew Boyd is a possibility. Bibee's quick exit could allow him to start on short rest rather than in a Game 6.
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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, left, celebrates with Luke Weaver after Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-3. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto celebrate after Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-3. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)
Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan catches a fly ball by New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton during the first inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio misses catching a pop fly by New York Yankees' Aaron Judge during the first inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. Rocchio was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) walks toward the dugout after being pulled during the second inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee leaves the game during the second inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez reacts after hitting a fly out against the New York Yankees during the third inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Anthony Rizzo celebrates after hitting a RBI double against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, center, hits a two-run home run off Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Hunter Gaddis (33) during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez )
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with Austin Wells after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the baseball AL Championship Series Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
