Yankees Beat Guardians, Take 2-0 ALCS Lead

NEW YORK -- — Aaron Judge sent the ball soaring toward Monument Park and Gleyber Torres tagged up at first base. “That was disrespect out of Gleyber, man,” Judge said with a smile. “He’s seen me hit 58 of those things this year.”

Judge's first home run of the postseason broke the tension, a two-run, seventh-inning drive that helped boost the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 AL Championship Series lead.

Judge, who entered with just one RBI in the playoffs, hit a sacrifice fly in a two-run second that put the Yankees ahead 3-0 — after Cleveland intentionally walked Juan Soto to load the bases. With New York leading 4-2 lead in the seventh, the likely AL MVP drove a fastball at the letters from Hunter Gaddis 414 feet to center for his 14th career postseason home run.

In a matchup of aces who had off nights, Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee got just just four outs in the shortest start of his professional career and an erratic Gerrit Cole was chased after four walks in 4 1/3 innings.

Winner Clay Holmes, Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings.