Yankees Seek Commanding 3-0 ALCS Lead Against Guardians

Major League Baseball‘s postseason continued on Thursday with two pivotal League Championship Series matchups. The New York Yankees squared off against the Cleveland Guardians, aiming to secure a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series (ALCS). Meanwhile, the New York Mets faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in an effort to level their National League Championship Series (NLCS) at 2-2.

The Yankees entrusted the mound to right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt, marking his second outing of the postseason. Schmidt had demonstrated impressive form during the regular season, recording a 2.85 ERA and a 3.10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 85 innings. Opposing him was the seasoned left-hander Matthew Boyd, making his third postseason appearance, having previously thrown 6 2/3 combined scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS.

CBS Sports provided live commentary and analysis throughout the ALCS Game 3, highlighting key moments and strategies. Both teams began the game with a notably lackluster offensive performance, impacting their chances to gain an early advantage. “The story of this series has been poor baseball,” remarked an analyst, noting the challenges faced by both teams.

Early on, both the Yankees and Guardians stranded runners, with Cleveland’s offense looking to capitalize but ultimately unable to take an early lead. The Guardians managed to get two runners on base with no outs in the first, positioning the middle of their order to potentially break the stalemate.

Strikingly, the matchup showcased the Yankees’ struggle with plate discipline, recording 44 strikeouts against 39 walks during the postseason. This staggering ratio underscored the team’s difficulties at the plate, despite a talented lineup.

Notably, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made strategic adjustments to his lineup. Veterans Anthony Rizzo and Austin Wells were replaced by Jon Berti and Jose Trevino to counter left-hander Boyd. This decision was influenced by Rizzo’s hand injury, which Boone remains “mindful” of, to ensure continued recovery.

For the Guardians, the inclusion of catcher Austin Hedges raised eyebrows due to his underwhelming offensive performance. Manager Stephen Vogt‘s strategy, however, involved using Hedges primarily for his defensive prowess, with a plan to replace him with a stronger hitter like David Fry in high-pressure situations.