The New York Yankees (15-10) avoided the three-game sweep on Wednesday after four runs combined in the first two innings led to a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians (14-10).
“[We’ve played] Pretty good, but I think there’s so much room still for us to get better, though,” said Yankees skipper Aaron Boone. “There’s still a few guys that we want to get on track which is nature, especially early in the season. I feel like we have the chance to be a really good club here. We’ve gotten out of the gates okay, but definitely room for improvement.”
Ben Rice led off the game with a walk, which led to a triple off the center field wall by Aaron Judge, giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead.
A walk from Cody Bellinger set up runners on the corners with nobody out and the scorching hot Paul Goldschmidt at the dish. The first baseman doubled to deep center field, scoring Judge from third.
Rice continued his hot start with a single to right center, scoring Jasson Domínguez from second. Goldschmidt came up clutch once again with an RBI single to left center, as Rice came around to score for the second time in two innings. The Bronx Bombers led 4-1 after two frames.
“Those three guys [Rice, Judge and Goldschmidt] are playing so well and giving quality at-bat after quality at-bat,” Boone said. “Good one to get here going into an off day after a couple tough ones.”
Carlos Rodón notched his second-straight quality start, as the southpaw surrendered just one unearned run on four hits and two walks, while striking out eight in seven innings of work. The stellar outing brought his ERA down to 3.50 for the season.
“Another strong one for him,” Aaron Boon said. “Gives up a first inning run there and then got into a really good groove and better and better as he went … Pretty efficient for seven innings.”
In the bottom half of the first, Gabriel Arias doubled to left field with one out in the inning. José Ramírez got the Guardians on the board with a single to center, with Arias scoring on a fielding error by Bellinger, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Ramírez took third on the error, but Cleveland couldn’t capitalize a second time on the error.
Judge raised his batting average to .415 after a two-for-four day at the plate with a triple that was just shy of a home run, one RBI, one walk and a run scored.
“He never ceases to amaze with what he [Judge] does up there,” Boone added.
Even though the Yankees came out victorious, they should’ve put more runs on the board. After scoring two quick runs in the first, they still had runners on second and third with nobody out, and they didn’t score again the rest of the frame.
Goldschmidt’s RBI double was followed by three consecutive strikeouts from Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells.
Wells put together a solid at-bat in the seventh, as he drove in Chisholm on an RBI double to deep left center field, increasing the team’s lead to 5-1.
The Yankees are back in action in the Bronx on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.
