CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians suffered an 8-6 defeat to the Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday. With this loss, Cleveland now finds itself trailing 3-1 in the series, while the Yankees stand just one victory away from clinching a spot in the World Series as they head into Game 5 on Saturday.
The game was a rollercoaster ride, with the Guardians conjuring up some magic at Progressive Field, but ultimately falling short. Here are 10 defining moments from the Guardians’ Game 4 loss to the Yankees:
Juan Soto keeps delivering
In his first postseason with the Yankees, Juan Soto has wasted no time igniting his new team’s offense from the two-hole, and Friday was no different.
After Gleyber Torres singled to start the game, Soto immediately followed up with a two-run shot to center field. The 414-foot homer jumped off the 25-year-old’s bat at 113.3 mph.
Soto is batting .286 in the playoffs with two homers and four RBIs.
Guardians’ top bats heat up
Steven Kwan has been the model of consistency atop the Guardians’ lineup, extending his on-base streak to nine straight games — every game in the playoffs — with a patient first-inning walk. His steady presence at the plate continues to set the table for Cleveland’s offense, proving invaluable in their postseason run.
Rookie Kyle Manzardo followed the walk with a double, moving Kwan up to third base with slugger José Ramírez coming to the plate.
Although Ramírez has been quiet in the postseason, batting .226 in the playoffs, the third baseman came through with a sacrifice fly to get the Guardians on the board.
Unexpected yet historic blast from rookie catcher
Austin Wells, primarily recognized for his defensive skills behind the plate after batting .229 in the regular season, made his mark with the bat on Friday.
The rookie catcher crushed a solo homer in the second inning, becoming the first Yankees rookie catcher to go deep in the postseason. His blast, coming right after two consecutive strikeouts looking, extended New York’s lead to 3-1.
Josh Naylor’s defense turns heads
Josh Naylor is the lone infielder for the Guardians who is not a finalist for a Gold Glove, but if you’ve watched the last two games, you wouldn’t think that.
In Game 3, Naylor made a pick on a phenomenal play by Andrés Giménez’ while Naylor acrobatically kept his foot on first base in a clutch moment.
In Game 4, Naylor made a tough pick on an in-between hop on a throw from third by Ramírez in the top of the third inning.
Kwan sparks Guardians rally with speed and savvy
Aside from Cleveland’s dramatic comeback in Game 3, where Kwan went 0-for-4 with two walks, he had collected a hit in every playoff game. In Game 4, Kwan quickly regained his groove, lining a single in the third inning to continue his postseason consistency at the plate.
Kwan’s speed, one of the sharpest weapons in his arsenal, was on full display as he swiped a base, capitalizing on Austin Wells’ double clutch on the throw. His heads-up baserunning set the stage perfectly for Naylor, putting Cleveland in prime scoring position.
With Kwan at second and needing a run to bring the game within one, Naylor hit a bloop single in Kwan with two outs to make it a 3-2 game.
Soto burns Fry with warning track grab
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opted to call on David Fry, who has saved the Guardians’ season multiple times in this year’s playoffs, in the fifth with Cleveland trailing by one.
Fry hit a 101.7 missile toward the right field wall, but Soto made a running catch to silence the Cleveland crowd.
The Yankees Big Three
Aaron Judge’s homer in Game 2 marked the awakening of the Yankees’ formidable trio, igniting a resurgence in their offensive firepower.
Since that pivotal moment, whenever New York has sought an offensive spark, Juan Soto, Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton have stepped up to deliver. In Game 4, their contributions were crucial, particularly in a pivotal sixth inning where each of them made their presence felt, reinforcing their status as the backbone of the lineup.
Soto started with a walk, Judge hit a 111.8 mph single, and Stanton promptly followed with a 404-foot three-run homer that blasted out of the Progressive Field at 105.7 mph, giving the Yankees a 6-2 lead. Throughout this year’s playoffs, Stanton has nine hits with four being homers.
Seventh Inning Surge Restores Hope for the Guardians
With one swing, José Ramírez reignited the spirits of the Cleveland faithful packed into Progressive Field.
In the seventh inning, with two runners aboard, the Guardians’ star unleashed an RBI double that skidded down the right-field line. While Ramírez’s hit contributed just one run to the scoreboard, it served as a jolt of electricity, reminding both the fans and his teammates that they were very much alive in a contest that had seemed to slip from their grasp.
As the crowd buzzed with renewed energy, Naylor stepped up and delivered a powerful double of his own, slicing the ball into the right-center gap to plate both Ramírez and Kwan, who singled after a Brayan Rocchio walk. Suddenly, the Guardians found themselves trailing by just one, 6-5, with only one out on the board, setting the stage for a thrilling comeback.
As Jhonkensy Noel sent a towering fly ball soaring toward the deep confines of left field, an electrifying wave of anticipation swept through the stadium. Fans leaped from their seats, arms raised in exhilaration, recalling his clutch performance in Game 3 that had previously tied the game. Yet, as the ball reached its apex, Alex Verdugo emerged as the unexpected antagonist, tracking the trajectory with pinpoint precision. With a steady glove, he reached up at the wall to make the catch, snuffing out the thunderous cheers that had erupted just moments earlier.
Yet, hope flickered back to life for Cleveland as they entered the eighth inning, trailing 6-5. With six outs remaining, the stage was set for another improbable comeback.
David Fry is inevitable
David Fry already had two crucial homers and a squeeze bunt that saved the Guardians’ season entering Game 4. His heroics would continue on Friday.
In the bottom of the eighth, with the team trailing 6-5 and two outs on the board, Fry hit a weak dribbler back to the mound. Mark Leiter Jr. attempted a shovel pass to Anthony Rizzo (who is battling through broken fingers), but the throw slipped through Rizzo’s legs and rolled into right field. This costly miscue — even though the play was ruled an infield single for Fry — scored the tying run for the Guardians while advancing to second base, continuing the comeback into the late innings.
Yankees get to Clase … again
As Emmanuel Clase entered the top of the ninth, the Cleveland fans were reminded of when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered off Clase just a night ago.
The sour taste crept back in when Rizzo, who ultimately was ran for by Jon Berti, singled, Anthony Volpe singled, advancing Berti to third with nobody out.
After Austin Wells struck out, Verdugo reached first on a fielding error by Gold Glove finalist shortstop Brayan Rocchio, scoring the go-ahead run for the Yankees.
They immediately added an insurance run on a Torres single to go up 8-6, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The only silver lining for the Guardians, facing a 3-1 deficit with Game 5 on Saturday, is that the Yankees are the sole team in MLB history to surrender a 3-0 series lead, an infamous blunder they committed in the 2004 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
