The New York Yankees are one win away from getting back to the World Series for the first time since they won it all in 2009, as for the New York Mets, they scored 12 runs on 14 hits to save their season and force a Game 6 in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Yankees had a 6-2 lead in the sixth inning, while holding the Guardians offense to five hits. But in the bottom of the seventh, the Guardians tied the game on back to back doubles from Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor, sending the Cleveland fans into a frenzy and putting the Yankees back in their heels. In a game when Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto would go yard but Aaron Jugde mustered only one single in four at bats, the managed to get hits from unlikely sources to steal the game back.
In the top of the ninth, with the game still locked up at 6-6, Anthony Rizzo led off with a single, followed by a single off the bat of Anthony Volpe. After a strike out was recorded by the games best closer in 2024, Emmanuel Clase, Alex Verdugo reached on a fielding error allowing a runner to score to break the tie. Then Gleyber Torres hit a single up the middle pushing across an insurance run to increase the lead to 8-6.
The Guardians with one last chance, got runners on first and second after an out was recorded in the bottom of the frame, but relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle induced a flout off the bat of Bo Naylor and next batter Brayan Rocchio grounded out to end the game. With the victory the Yankees go up 3-1 in the best of seven ALCS with chance to close it out today.
What’s Next
Game 5 – Saturday, Oct 19, 2024 – Cleveland
Game 6 – Monday, Oct 21, 2024 – New York (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Tuesday, Oct 22, 2024 – New York (If Necessary)
The New York Mets were facing elimination on Friday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers up 3-1 in the best of seven NLCS, and they answered the call by preventing the Dodgers from closing them out on their home field.
Just as they have done in previous postseason games, the Mets got a huge hit to put the momentum in their favor. Pete Alonso was the hero on Friday, as he launched a 3-run home run way over the right center field fence, putting the Mets up early 3-0.
The in the bottom of the third, after the Dodgers scored a run in the top of the second inning, New York added their signature big inning to the series, with a five-run spot, highlighted by a Starling Marte 2-RBI double, Francisco Alvarez‘s RBI single and Mets MVP Francisco Lindor‘s RBIs triple. Brandon Nimmo got in on the fun by adding his own RBI single, pushing the Mets lead to 8-1.
But as the Dodgers do just as well as the Mets, they got a run back in the top of the fourth to make the score 8-2, and the Mets answered right back with two more in the bottom half of the frame on a Jesse Winker triple and Jeff McNeil RBI sac fly.
Los Angeles would not quit, as they added three more in the fifth and one in the sixth to pull within 10-6. But the night belonged to the Mets and they were not about to allow the explosive Dodgers offense back in the game, as they added one in the sixth and one in the eight to push the score to 12-6. Edwin Diaz was called on in the eighth to shut down the heart of the lineup and struck out Andy Pages, who homered twice in the game, Shohei Ohtani and got Mookie Betts to ground out to end the inning. Then in the ninth, after two fly outs and a single, Diaz was able to get fellow Puerto Rican compatriot Kike Hernandez to fly out, sending the Mets back to LA down 3-2.
The big offensive boost for the Mets came in the way of Marte, 4 for 5, and free swinging Alvarez finished 3 for 4.
The Mets will now send Sean Manaea to the mound against the Dodgers bullpen to try and force a Game 7 winner take all.
What’s Next
Game 6 – Sunday, Oct 20, 2024 – Los Angeles
Game 7 – Monday, Oct 21, 2024 – Los Angeles (If Necessary)
