CLEVELAND, Ohio — These are tense times for the Guardians, whose season is hanging by a thread.
They’ve lost the first two games in the American League Championship Series to the Yankees. They’re still guaranteed two more games, starting with Game 3 on Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field, but that’s it.
Hopefully, each player has taken time to enjoy the journey because it comes and goes quickly. And when it departs, it may not come around again.
“I’ve spent the better parts of nine seasons watching the playoffs from home,” said lefty Matthew Boyd, Cleveland’s Game 3 starter. “It’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘Man, I know my time is going to come to get to do that.’
“You just don’t know what it feels like when you get out there. It’s just kind of invigorating. It feels like opening day all over again, but that doesn’t even do it justice.
“It’s crazy how you play 162 games. You work a whole year to get to this point, and it’s like — you don’t want to say it’s all for nothing, but the slate is wiped clean. It’s like, here you go, just go compete. I think that’s the coolest part of it. It’s kind of electrifying in that sense.”
The Guardians had that electrifying look in their eye when they won the ALDS from Detroit in five games. They need to get it back against the Yankees to keep their season going.
Trivia time
There’s a big day ahead with Game 3 of the ALCS calling. Let’s keep things light with some peach yogurt and a glass of orange juice. Meanwhile, let me ask you this: How has this postseason linked managers Stephen Vogt and Carlos Mendoza? Answer below.
Postseason schedule
MLB has set the broadcast times for ALCS games between the Guardians and Yankees. Game 3 is Thursday at Progressive Field at 5:08 p.m. Here is the updated schedule for times and TV broadcast for the ALCS and NLCS.
Today’s game
The Guardians send Boyd to the mound on Thursday afternoon to try and reestablish their equilibrium in the ALCS. They lost Games 1 and 2 at Yankee Stadium and need a win in Game 3 to get back into the best-of-seven series.
This will be Boyd’s third start of the postseason for Cleveland. He last faced the Yankees on Aug. 20, throwing 5 1/3 no-decision innings in a 9-5 win.
The Yankees counter with right-hander Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 3.86). He was limited to 16 starts in the regular season because of a right lat strain. One of those starts was against the Guardians in which he threw five scoreless innings in a 3-2 win on April 13.
What’s next
Friday: Game 4 of the ALCS will be played at Progressive Field at 8:08 p.m. RHP Luis Gil (0-0, 0.00) will start for the Yankees. The Guardians have not named a starter.
Saturday: Game 5 (if necessary) of the ALCS will be played at Progressive Field at 8:08 p.m. The starters have not been announced.
Sunday: The teams are off on Sunday and will work out at Yankee Stadium. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, are scheduled for Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.
Trivia answer: Vogt and Mendoza, manager of the Mets, are the first rookie managers to lead their teams to a league championship series in their first year on the job, according to MLB Network.
