The Yankees won a blowout victory on Sunday afternoon to complete their sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, recording 3 home runs and giving up just 6 hits in the lopsided home game.
The 10–2 win marked the biggest victory of the young season for the Bronx Bombers, as Cleveland failed to muster much offense while the Pinstripes hitters dominated all afternoon.
Yankee batters began pouring on the pain early in the contest when Aaron Judge doubled in the team’s second at bat, and Anthony Rizzo followed that with a 2-run homer over the right field fence off a 75 mph curveball from Guardians righty Aaron Civale.
“To get a 2 ball right off the top was huge,” said manager Aaron Boone. “I don’t feel like we’ve scored much in the beginning of games.”
Third baseman DJ LeMahieu extended his hitting streak to 11 games when he hit an RBI double in the 2nd inning to score shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa after he singled two at bats earlier, which brought the score to 3–0 heading into the 3rd.
The team continued their offensive explosion in the 3rd inning, scoring 3 runs — first off a blooper from Aaron Hicks, then a Joey Gallo double, and finally off a Isiah Kiner-Falefa sacrifice fly to left.
The Guardians finally managed to keep the Bronx Bombers scoreless in the 4th and 5th innings, but the red-hot LeMahieu continued his highly-impressive season start with a 2-run home run to left field in the 6th inning off an 88 mph cutter from lefty Kirk McCarty.
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The Yanks scored their 9th and 10th run in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Marwin González singled to right-center field, before Tim Locastro pinch hit for Aaron Judge and smashed a long bomb over the left field fence on an 81 mph changeup.
Meanwhile, the Guardians scored their only 2 runs in the top of the 9th inning, when 26-year-old Ron Marinaccio took the mound for the Yankees and gave up a single and a walk, before a 2-run triple to Cleveland shortstop Andrés Giménez.
That wasn’t nearly enough to make the game competitive, and the Yankees secured their first sweep of the season.
“It’s nice. We’ve been in that position a couple of times, but now to finish off the sweep is nice,” said Boone.
Gerrit Cole got the win for the Bombers, as he threw the first 6.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 9 batters. Left-hander Wandy Peralta took the mound after Cole, and threw a scoreless 1.1 innings, before Marinaccio took the mound in the 9th.
Meanwhile, off the field, Yankee Stadium staffers beefed up security following an ugly showing from the Bronx fans on Saturday afternoon, when spectators watching the team’s walk-off win began throwing beer cans and other garbage at the Guardians outfielders.
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The stadium stationed a security guard at the bottom of each outfield staircase to prevent any misdeeds, and the team issued stern warnings to attendees of the matinee showing.
The team now moved to a 10–6 record, putting them in solid positioning in the AL East. They will next face off against the Baltimore Orioles in a home series beginning on April 26.
