Three takeaways from Yankees' Game 4 win over Guardians in ALCS

CLEVELAND

1. The Yankees still haven’t played their best baseball but are one victory away from the World Series.

Second-year shortstop Anthony Volpe uttered the first part of that — “I feel like we haven’t played our best baseball” — on the eve of the ALCS, and the Yankees still haven’t. They were not especially proficient or efficient on offense, other than Giancarlo Stanton and a few others who have provided a spark here and there, in winning the first two games of the series. Those wins stemmed more from stellar bullpen work than anything else, along with a lights-out start in Game 1 by Carlos Rodon. Then came the Game 3 gut punch, and it looked as if the Yankees would take another one in Game 4 when they blew a 6-2 lead. But the offense  again beat up elite closer Emmanuel Clase and — regardless of style points, which don’t matter in the least at this time of year — put the Yankees on the cusp of a place they haven’t been since winning their last title in 2009.

2. Stanton remains a postseason beast.

Stanton homered for the fourth time this postseason and third in the ALCS. He is 9-for-30 with nine RBIs, five walks, four strikeouts and a 1.167 OPS in eight games overall. His 15 career postseason homers, all with the Yankees, tied him with Babe Ruth and Aaron Judge for fourth-most in franchise history behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18). Mantle and Ruth, of course, hit all of theirs in World Series games and there was only one “round” of the playoffs in their eras. Regardless, Stanton, whom Yankees fans have been slow to warm to almost from the time he arrived in the Bronx before the 2018 season, has consistently shown himself to be a prime-time performer. And that’s not even covering the near reverential regard in which he’s held by his teammates.

3. It’s anyone’s guess what the Yankees will get from their bullpen Saturday.

It’s a good thing the Yankees have the three-games-to-one series lead, because Aaron Boone, regardless of what he says publicly, has no idea what to expect from any of his high-leverage relievers. All of them are pretty much on fumes at this point and it would be nothing short of a godsend for the Yankees if Game 5 starter Rodon can give them at least six innings, if not more. Boone had no intention of using Luke Weaver, who appeared in the first seven postseason games, on Friday, yet had him up and warming when things got dicey for Tommy Kahnle, who ended up persevering to close out the 8-6 win (barely). Collectively, the entire unit — just like the Guardians’ relievers — is on fumes.