Guardians score three runs in ninth to stun Yankees, take 2-1 series lead

CLEVELAND — As much success as the Yankees have had over the years at Progressive Field (Jacobs Field for many years before it was rebranded a half-decade ago), they’ve absorbed some of the most crushing postseason losses in their history there, too.

Saturday night’s 6-5 loss ranks with all of them, and might just surpass the others.

The Yankees took a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning in ALDS Game 3, with the very real prospect of Gerrit Cole closing out the series Sunday night. Then the bullpen imploded spectacularly, with Oscar Gonzalez’s walk-off two-out, two-run single off Clarke Schmidt capping a three-run inning and giving the Guardians a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Wandy Peralta got Luke Maille to fly to right to begin the inning, but soft singles by Myles Straw and Steven Kwan knocked out Peralta. Amed Rosario grounded an RBI single to left off Schmidt to make it 5-4, and Jose Ramirez’s soft flare single toward the shortstop area against an overshifted defense loaded the bases. Isiah Kiner-Falefa made a good play to prevent it from going into the outfield, keeping the tying run from scoring. 

Schmidt struck out Josh Naylor on three pitches for the second out and got ahead of Gonzalez 1-and-2. His next pitch was a slider just off the outside corner, and Gonzalez reached out and poked a two-run single to center to give the Guardians a stunning victory.

Some in the Yankees' clubhouse were perplexed that Clay Holmes did not get the ball in the ninth. Aaron Boone said he wanted to stay away from Holmes, who threw 16 pitches in the Game 2 loss Friday. Because Holmes missed the last part of the season with a shoulder strain, Boone said he didn’t want to use him back-to-back. Still, it didn’t appear to be a popular move.

“He’s our closer, so of course I was surprised,” Luis Severino said of not seeing Holmes. “But I don’t know if he was down. I don’t know if there should be people down in the playoffs, so that’s something you guys need ask Boonie or [pitching coach Matt] Blake to see what was going on there. But I was surprised not seeing him.”

Said Holmes: “I woke up today preparing to pitch. Sometimes those decisions aren’t mine. I feel like I’m available to pitch.”

The Yankees hit three home runs but were outhit 15-5. They have scored only 11 runs in the series, 10 on their six home runs. Kwan and Ramirez each had three hits for the Guardians.

Now Game 1 winner Cole will take the mound Sunday night and try to keep the Yankees’ season alive in a rematch with Cleveland righthander Cal Quantrill.

 "Love that Gerrit's on the mound. Let's go get it,''  Boone said. "Tonight obviously was a gut-wrenching ending, but we got to get over it. Now we're obviously up against it, but I still love our chances. Got Gerrit going tomorrow. Got to go take care of business and try and get back to New York."

Could a loss like this carry over to Sunday?  "Hell, no,'' Boone said. "No, not allowed to. We'll be ready to go . . .  Move on. It stings right now, and it's raw. You know, you're frustrated because you're so close to the end there, but we got to turn the page. It's not allowed to be the case. We got to come out here. We got Gerrit going tomorrow. We expect to come out here and win.''

Said Aaron Judge: “He’s our ace. He’s pitched in big games for us. He always goes out there with intensity and we’re going to match his energy and go out there and take this back to the Bronx.”

If they don't capture the next two games, the Yankees (99 wins) will join the Dodgers (111 wins), Atlanta (101 wins) and the Mets (101 wins) as top teams that didn't make it past the Division Series.

Earlier, Judge announced his presence in the series in the third inning with a monstrous 449-foot two-run homer to center to snap a two-game playoff “drought” in that department. He did what he did 62 times in the regular season, dropping his bat and making his way around the bases as unobtrusively as a body his size can.

Rookie Oswaldo Cabrera, whose exuberance added some needed energy to the Yankees’ clubhouse upon his call-up, predictably took a slightly different tack after a two-run shot in the fifth, making Jose Bautista’s famous bat flip from the 2015 postseason seem almost tame.

Behind those home runs — plus another from Harrison Bader — and a gutty performance from Severino, the Yankees were in prime position to earn the right to face the Astros in the ALCS. But now they might not get that far.

It brought back memories of Sandy Alomar Jr.’s home run vs. Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the 1997 ALDS. Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS (aka the “Joba and the Midges” game). Game 2 of the 2017 ALDS, when the Yankees chose not to challenge a key hit by pitch and it led to a grand slam by Francisco Lindor and an extra-inning victory for Cleveland.

Severino, making his first start since throwing seven no-hit innings against the Rangers on Oct. 3, was rusty, allowing two runs in the first two innings and throwing 55 pitches in that span. The righthander settled down, though, retiring 13 straight batters and allowing Judge — who had been 0-for-9 with eight strikeouts in the series — to tie it and Cabrera to give the Yankees the lead.

Bader’s blast, his second of the series, came in the seventh against lefty Sam Hentges and pushed the lead back to two runs at 5-3 after Lou Trivino allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth.

The night did not start promisingly for the Yankees as Severino needed 31 pitches to get through the first.

Kwan greeted him with a leadoff double, yanking a 98-mph fastball down the rightfield line. Severino struck out Rosario swinging at a slider but Ramirez lined a first-pitch slider to right for a single, putting runners at the corners for Naylor. He hit a low liner that got past  Kiner-Falefa for an RBI single that made it 1-0.

“Me personally, I’m just disappointed in myself,'' Kiner-Falefa said. "I feel like I had opportunities to come up with some key plays tonight and help the team win. Wasn’t able to come up with them. Feel like those are big runs that cost us the game tonight.” 

Gabriel Arias led off the second with a double. Austin Hedges flared a single to center and, after Straw fouled out, Kwan drilled an RBI single to right to make it 2-0.

The Yankees got on the board in the third, sparked by Cabrera, who lined a one-out double to right and took third on Gleyber Torres’ flyout to center. Judge followed by crushing a down-the-middle 94-mph fastball to center for his 12th career postseason homer, tying it at 2-2.

Bader led off the fifth with a single and one out later, Cabrera hammered a 91-mph fastball to right, admiring the ball well into its flight before dramatically flipping the bat. That made it 4-2.

Severino set down the first two Guardians in the bottom half to make it 13 straight retired before Andres Gimenez and Arias singled.Pinch hitter Will Brennan ripped an RBI single off Trivino to make it 4-3.