Cleveland Guardians Face Challenge Against New York Yankees in ALCS

After suffering setbacks in the initial two games of the ALCS held at Yankee Stadium, the Cleveland Guardians are set to return to Progressive Field to host the New York Yankees. The postseason series continues on October 17, October 18, and, if required, October 19.

Scheduled competitions for Games 3 and 4 are on Thursday and Friday, respectively, with Game 5 anticipated on Saturday should it be necessary. The games take place on the home turf of the Guardians, hoping to leverage the home-field advantage against the Yankees.

Despite the high stakes, seats are still available through several ticketing platforms, including Seat Geek, Vivid Seats, StubHub, Viagogo, TicketCity, and Ticketmaster, with varied pricing reported for each game. Prospective attendees are advised to check the respective websites for refund details in the event Game 5 is not conducted.

The Guardians have been struggling offensively, with only 14 hits and five runs produced across the first two games. A concerning 16 runners were left on base, particularly evident in Game 2, where 11 were stranded. Key offensive players include Kwan and Rocchio, each maintaining a seven-game hitting streak during the postseason, while Jose Ramirez recorded a homer in the ninth inning of Game 2.

Starting pitching has also been an area of concern, as efforts to contain the Yankees’ formidable hitters, known colloquially as the Bronx Bombers, have faltered. Notably, Alex Cobb exited after pitching only 2 2/3 innings in Game 1. Moreover, Cleveland’s players committed two errors in Game 2.

The Yankees’ lineup, including sluggers Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge, have each delivered a home run in the series, reinforcing their dominant position.

Historically, in best-of-seven series, teams that secure a 2-0 lead have an 84% success rate in capturing the series, prevailing in 76 out of 91 instances. However, there have been 15 comebacks in such scenarios, one of the latest being the Arizona Diamondbacks during the previous season’s NLCS.