CLEVELAND (AP) — Unchallenged. Unshakeable. Unhittable for six months, Emmanuel Clase hasn't been close to being the same closer in October.
The Guardians haven't been able to count on him when it matters most.
For the second straight night, the New York Yankees got to the All-Star in the late innings and have Cleveland on the edge of elimination following an 8-6 win on Friday night in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series.
Clase gave up back-to-back homers in the eighth inning of Game 3 but was saved by his teammates as the Guardians ripped a pair of two-run homers in their final two at-bats to stop from falling into a 3-0 series deficit.
Coming in from the bullpen to his customary music, Clase allowed three singles in the ninth — two of them softly hit — as the Yankees scored twice to break a 6-6 tie.
There wasn't a team all season that had much success against Clase. The Yankees overcame him twice in a little over 24 hours.
“Obviously he’s as good as it gets,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But I think when you have some success against him, and you know he’s throwing a lot, like a lot of our guys, a lot of their guys have thrown in the postseason, I think there’s probably a little bit of confidence that we can do this against one of the game’s greats.”
Clase led the AL with 47 saves and a 0.61 ERA and converted 34 consecutive saves to end the regular season. He gave up just five earned runs.
But Cleveland's career saves leader showed vulnerability when he allowed a three-run homer to Detroit's Kerry Carpenter in a 3-0 loss in the Division Series. He's been exposed further by the Yankees.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Friday afternoon he was unshaken by Game 3 and wasn't afraid to give the ball to Clase again.
“He’s the best closer in the world,” Vogt said. “He’s hung two sliders this postseason. That’s what’s true. Anything outside of that, you don’t worry about it. He’s made two bad pitches.”
He made a few more bad ones in Game 4.
In six postseason appearances, Clase is 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA. He's got two saves but they both came against the Tigers, who don't have anything approaching the Yankees lineup.
Clase avoided reporters on Thursday but stood at his locker Friday to explain what went wrong.
He's not even sure.
“Yeah, I mean obviously a little surprising,” he said through an interpreter. “Obviously, I keep the confidence high and keep trusting what I can do. But it’s a little surprising that they’ve been able to get the result they got so far.”
Clase insists he's not been overworked by Vogt, who didn't think the 26-year-old has been as sharp.
“I felt like the ball was just leaking back over the middle,” he said. “Credit them. They’ve had a great approach off of him the last two days. That is what the Yankees do really well. They take a really good approach against your pitchers, and then they get pitches over the middle. They don’t miss them, and they really capitalized.”
Clase has led MLB's best bullpen this season, and if he gets another chance, the Guardians trust he'll come through.
“He knows that everyone in this bullpen and in this clubhouse believes in him," said rookie right-hander Cade Smith, who gave up Giancarlo Stanton's three-run homer in the sixth. "Two rough nights hasn’t shaken our faith in him at all.”
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Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase throws against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase walks toward the dugout after throwing against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
CLEVELAND (AP) — One late-night October meltdown was one too many for the New York Yankees.
Again? Fugedaboudit.
The Yankees scratched out two runs in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and bounced back from a gut-wrenching loss a day earlier, beating the Cleveland Guardians 8-6 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
New York broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth as shortstop Brayan Rocchio booted Alex Verdugo’s RBI grounder for an error and Gleyber Torres followed with a run-scoring single.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer, Juan Soto had a two-run, first-inning shot and Austin Wells also connected for the Yankees, who can advance to their 41st World Series — and first since 2009 — with by winning Game 5 on Saturday night.
Just 24 hours after leaving Progressive Field wondering what went wrong, the Yankees showed resiliency.
“Not surprised with these guys,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Obviously last night was a really tough loss. And whatever happened today, win, lose or draw, there’s no doubt in my mind we’d come out ready to roll, ready to turn the page.
"Not a perfect game, but a gritty, tough, winning game.”
It was a messy ninth for Clase (0-2) as baseball's best reliever faltered for the second night in a row.
New York got three singles in the ninth off the right-hander, who gave up back-to-back homers in the eighth inning of Game 3 but got bailed out when the Guardians hit two-run homers in the ninth and 10th.
He wasn't as lucky this time as New York's bullpen bent but didn't break.
“I haven’t been able to execute my pitches,” Clase said through an interpreter. “Credit to them because they’ve been able to execute their at-bats.”
The Guardians are facing elimination in the postseason for the second time. They rallied in the ALDS to get past Detroit and will have to win three straight, including two at Yankee Stadium, to have any chance of ending their 76-year World Series drought.
“We’re going to show up ready to win,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. “That’s who these guys are. Our backs are against the wall, we play our best baseball. We don’t quit. This team has no quit in it. It hasn’t all year long.”
For the second straight night, the Yankees relievers struggled in high-leverage situations. The Guardians scored three in the seventh, one in the eighth and threatened in the ninth, putting two runners on.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to Tommy Kahnle — and not closer Luke Weaver — for the last three outs and the right-hander was able to put away Cleveland by throwing 18 pitches, all changeups.
Stanton’s 404-foot drive in the sixth inning off rookie Cade Smith put the Yankees ahead 6-2. Stanton has seven career postseason hits against Cleveland, all home runs.
After Cleveland closed to 6-5 in the seventh, rookie Jhonkensy Noel sent a shiver through the ballpark when he flied out to the warning track with a man on. Noel's pinch-hit, ninth-inning homer had tied Game 3.
The Guardians tied the score in the eighth when the Yankees botched an easy play in the infield, yet another of their fielding and baserunning miscues.
Bo Naylor doubled and moved up on an infield grounder. Mark Leiter Jr. (1-0), added to the Yankees' ALCS roster earlier in the day as Ian Hamilton's injury replacement, got Steven Kwan to pop up. Leiter appeared to get out of the inning when David Fry, one of Cleveland’s Game 3 home run stars, hit a slow grounder to the right side.
Leiter charged the ball on the grass, knocked it down and scooped the ball barehanded as he neared the foul line toward first. His low flip to first went through Anthony Rizzo’s legs for an error as Naylor scored.
Stanton, who hit back-to-back homers with Aaron Judge in the eighth inning Thursday, gave the Yankees a four-run lead with his 15th career postseason homer.
Smith, dominant during the regular season, walked Soto leading off the sixth. Judge singled and Stanton drove a 1-2 fastball into the bleachers where a sizable contingent of Yankees fans were waiting for it to land.
“I was in the zone and I got behind in the count,” Smith said. “I guess I threw what he was looking for.”
Stanton tied Carlos Beltrán and Nelson Cruz for the most homers in the first 35 career playoff games. He also moved into a tie with Judge and Babe Ruth for fourth in club history.
But the personal accolades meant nothing to Stanton. After Game 3, a victory was all that mattered.
And now New York needs one more.
“No lead is safe,” Stanton said. “It’s a great team over there, but it’s just important to keep pushing. They answered the bell. It’s a wave. It’s a roller coaster. But yeah, it was good to come out on top today.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Hamilton injured a calf injury while covering first base in the sixth inning of Game 3. He won't be eligible for the World Series if New York advances. Boone said he considered adding lefty Nestor Cortes, but wants to give the lefty as much time as possible to recover from an elbow strain.
UP NEXT
Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón makes his second start of the series after a strong Game 1 outing — one run and three hits with nine strikeouts in six innings. He'll face Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee, who was pulled after just 39 pitches in Game 2 and will pitch on three days' rest.
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New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, right, and Anthony Rizzo celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Cleveland Guardians players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 8-6. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) and Oswaldo Cabrera celebrate after Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton, right, celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Austin Wells watches his home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the second inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams throws against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Yankees' Juan Soto (22) celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas (67) after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Austin Wells (28) celebrates with Alex Verdugo after hitting a home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the second inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton tosses his bat after hitting a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 3 of the baseball AL Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Cleveland.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
New York Yankees' Juan Soto, left, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase throws against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning in Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton celebrates after hitting a home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 3 of the baseball AL Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Cleveland.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
New York Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle celebrates after Game 4 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 8-6 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
