NEW YORK – The Yankees’ loss to the Guardians on Tuesday night was the kind of game that stays with you for a long time.
All the missed opportunities on offense led to a grueling night for the club’s pitchers.
The Yankees had 1 of 16 runners in scoring position. Starter Luis Gil was out due to injury and all eight relievers in the bullpen were used.
And then to allow six runs in the 12th inning and hear the boos of the diehard fans who stayed up late? That hurts.
SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER:
Restoring glory
Since every team is susceptible to such performances over the course of a marathon season – as frustrating as they can be – it is how a club responds that separates the good from the great.
In this case, the Yankees have bounced back impressively. Between the fireworks from their superstar hitters and a spectacular performance from their starting pitcher, Wednesday’s 8-1 win over the Guardians was as beautiful a victory as it gets.
Left-hander Nestor Cortes was dominant, going seven scoreless innings with just three hits allowed. He didn’t walk a single batter and struck out four Guardians.
The only run for Cleveland came in the eighth inning, a solo home run by John Kensy Noel against left-hander Tim Mayza.
On offense, it was Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
Soto hit a two-run home run to center field in the first inning to give the Yankees an immediate lead. It was his 36th home run of the year, a new career high.
Two innings later, Judge hit his first of two home runs to opposite field. He now has an MLB-record 47 this season. That means he’s back on track to hit 60 by the end of this season, a remarkable turnaround after Judge’s ice-cold start to the season in April.
Soto worked a walk in his second at-bat and scored on Judge’s first hit of the night. In his next at-bat, he hit a bases-clearing double down the left field line for five RBIs on the night, ending a streak in which Soto’s last eight hits were all home runs.
Thank you for relying on us for journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Max Goodman can be reached at [email protected].
