Yankees Sweep Guardians, On to Jays

"Why aren't you writing about the Knicks?" I will -- when it's over. As Yogi Berra taught us, It ain't over 'til it's over.

The Yankees went to Cleveland and played the Guardians, formerly the Indians, and the Naps, and the Bronchos, and the Blues, at Progressive Field, formerly Jacobs Field.

Will Warren started on Monday night. Having gotten off to a really good start to the season, this was the 2nd straight time he'd pitched as poorly as I feared he would while "filling a hole in the starting rotation." He didn't make it out of the 5th inning, allowing 3 runs, 2 of them earned. Before the 6th inning had ended, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn had each added another.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run in the 1st inning, the 380th of his career, surpassing Orlando Cepeda and Tony Pérez, and tying the still-active Manny Machado. A month ago, I thought he was done. He wasn't. He'd previously surpassed the still-active Bryce Harper, who has 378; and the still-active Freddie Freeman, with 377. At this rate, he may pass the injured Aaron Judge, with 385.

But the Guardians took a 5-4 lead into the top of the 8th. Trent Grisham led off with a single, and he went to 3rd on a single by Ben Rice. Goldschmidt grounded into a force play that allowed Grisham to score the tying run.

The game went to extra innings, with Ali Sánchez as the Yankees' "ghost runner." A 29-year-old Venezuelan, he's a typical backup catcher, having bounced around the majors for 7 seasons, starting with the 2020 Mets, peaking at 96 plate appearances with the 2024 Miami Marlins, and batting .175 for his career. But with Austin Wells on the injured list, ol' Number 39 was necessary.

Grisham began the inning by flying out. But, Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you. In order to set up the inning-ending double play, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt ordered Rice intentionally walked, bringing the light-hitting (but defensively strong and versatile) Max Schuemann to the plate. Big mistake: He drew an unintentional walk to load the bases, and Cody Bellinger singled Grisham and Rice home. David Bednar pitched the 9th and the 10th for the win: Yankees 7, Guardians 5.

But, sometimes, the great pitchers don't pitch well, either. And we have to remember that Gerrit Cole is still coming off a long layoff. On Tuesday night, he only went 4 innings, throwing 83 pitches. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Regardless of the game's result, the starting pitcher is disqualified from being named the winning pitcher unless he goes 5 full innings (presuming the game goes the full 9).

But Spencer Jones hit his 1st major league home run. Jazz Chisholm hit one, too -- using a bat loaned to him by Judge. Both went over 440 feet. I guess they didn't need a "little league ballpark." Chisholm's homer gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the 8th, and that would be the final. Since Camilo Doval was the current Yankee pitcher when Chisholm homered, it was Doval who was named the winning pitcher. Despite his 5.47 ERA, he is 2-0.

Carlos Rodón was okay in the Wednesday afternoon "getaway day" game, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the 6th, on José Caballero's sacrifice fly. Every Yankee starting hitter got at least 1 hit. Yankees 8, Guardians 4, for the sweep.

The Yankees are 41-26, on a pace to go 99-63. They are tied for 1st place in the American League Eastern Division with the Tampa Bay Rays, who have 2 games in hand, and are thus 1 game ahead in, Cliché Alert, the All-Important Loss Column.

Tonight, the Yankees continue their roadtrip, playing those pesky Toronto Blue Jays.