The New York Yankees are on the cusp of reaching their first World Series since 2009, but they have to get past a Cleveland Guardians team that has shown some offensive life in the past two games. While Cleveland triumphed in Game 3, they couldn’t quite complete the comeback in Friday night’s Game 4 loss, leaving them vulnerable to elimination in Saturday’s Game 5 in Cleveland.
LHP Carlos Rodón is on the mound for the Yankees and looking to build on his impressive outing in Game 1, in which he pitched six innings, gave up just one run and struck out nine. For the Guardians, it’s righty Tanner Bibee, who has a 3.60 ERA this postseason. He pitched 1 1/3 innings in Game 2 against the Yankees, giving up two earned runs and striking out two.
Can the Yankees finish the job and avoid going back home for a Game 6? We’ll find out soon enough.
How to watch Yankees vs. Guardians ALCS Game 5 (NYY leads 3-1)
Follow along for live updates, highlights and more from Yahoo Sports:
Live23 updates
Mid-7: Yankees 2, Guardians 2
Rocchio just ended the inning with a double play for Cleveland — it was the third consecutive double play to end an inning — and the Guardians made it out of the seventh.
The Guardians are pulling Cade Smith with one out and one on here in the seventh. Herrin will come in now to try to get Cleveland out of the inning without giving up a run.
End 6: Yankees 2, Guardians 2
The Yankees turned two to get out of the sixth inning after Hill came in to replace Leiter on the mound, and we’re still tied 2-2.
Stanton strikes again
Just like that, we’re tied up. Giancarlo Stanton drilled his fourth home run of the ALCS, and it’s suddenly a 2-2 game here in Cleveland. He launched that with two outs and two strikes, too.
That’ll do it for Bibee on the mound for the Guardians.
Yankees making moves
And here come the Yankees. Torres and Soto opened the sixth inning with a pair of singles, and the Guardians’ training staff are meeting with Bibee now at the mound.
End 5: Guardians 2, Yankees 0
Thomas grounded out to second, and the Yankees made it out of the inning after loading up the bases.
The Guardians now have a two-run lead past the midway point of this matchup. If the Yankees are going to close it out here and punch their World Series ticket, they’ll need to make a move soon.
The Yankees are 15-2 this season when Carlos Rodon pitches at least 6 innings. They are 5-12 when Rodon pitches less than 6 innings. He pitched 4 2/3 innings tonight. The Yankees trail Cleveland, 2-0 after 5 innings.
David Fry broke his bat while hitting a double that Aaron Judge should’ve caught in the outfield, and the Yankees are pulling Rodon from the mound.
It’ll be Leiter pitching for the Yankees now in the fifth, with two outs and runners on second and third.
Guardians extend their lead
After Gimenez doubled to start the inning, Steven Kwan just hit him in with a perfect single to short center field. The Guardians lead 2-0 now in the fifth, and it looks like Rodon’s night is just about done.
Mid-5: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
The Guardians pulled off a very tight double play that survived a Yankees challenge to get out of the fourth. The Yankees have had just a single hit since the opening inning.
End 4: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
Bibee threw 11 pitches in the top of the inning, and Rodon got out of the bottom with just six after Thomas, Naylor and Noel all flied out.
We’re through four now, and the Yankees are still down by a run.
Mid-4: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
Bibee threw just 11 pitches in that inning to quickly get out of it. He’s cruising now, and the offensive burst from the Yankees in the first inning is long gone.
The Guardians hold a one-run lead entering the bottom of the fourth.
End 3: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
Rocchio walked to start the inning for Cleveland, but Rodon quickly got out of it without any issue to keep the deficit at a single run.
Mid-3: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
The Guardians are settling in now after that first inning. Bibee just closed out a second consecutive 1-2-3 inning by striking out Aaron Judge.
Cleveland’s lead stands at 1.
After 2: Guardians 1, Yankees 0
Josh Naylor made it to first on a very soft single to third, and then Bo Naylor hit him in with a deep double up the right-field line. The Guardians strike first to take a 1-0 lead.
Mid-2: Yankees 0, Guardians 0
That was a much better inning for Cleveland. Bibee struck out both Volpe and Wells, and then Verdugo flied out to left. We’re still tied up.
After 1: Yankees 0, Guardians 0
That’s a quick 1-2-3 inning for Rodon, and we’re still tied 0-0 after 1 in Cleveland.
94.4 miles per hour to make the play at the plate. Incredible.
Mid-1: Yankees 0, Guardians 0
The Yankees still loaded up the bases, but Bibee got out of the inning after Anthony Rizzo lined out to left for the third out. That was almost really bad, really fast for the Guardians.
Torres singled to center for the Yankees, and then Juan Soto nearly hit him home with a deep double that made it all the way to the wall.
But somehow, the Guardians threw a perfect relay to get Torres out at home for the first out of the inning. What a play at the plate to keep this thing 0-0.
Tanner Bibee has thrown the first pitch, and we’re officially underway at Progressive Field.
