CLEVELAND – Downtown Cleveland is buzzing with excitement as the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame prepares for its induction ceremonies on Saturday, honoring legends like Cher, Dionne Warwick, and the Dave Matthews Band as part of the Class of 2024. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m. in a highly anticipated matchup.
Tonight, the action continues at Progressive Field with Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, where the New York Yankees are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Guardians in Game 3.
Gavin Williams took the mound for the Guardians but was removed after just 2.1 innings. Stephen Vogt initiated Cleveland’s pitching changes, bringing in lefty Erik Sabrowski who managed to retire Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, but the Yankees still held a 3-1 lead in the middle of the third inning.
Luis Gil could face a short leash as well, especially with considerations about the availability of key relief pitchers like Luke Weaver and Tommy Kahnle due to their workloads. There is speculation that Marcus Stroman could also make an appearance, having not pitched yet in the postseason.
Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed concern over Austin Wells’ performance, suggesting it was time to move him down in the batting order. Despite this, Wells connected for his first career postseason home run, hitting a 407-foot shot in the second inning, bringing the score to 3-1 in favor of the Yankees.
Gil has been under scrutiny for his tendency to issue walks, which continued as he walked Steven Kwan, allowing Cleveland to narrow the Yankees’ lead. However, Gil managed to recover by getting Josh Naylor to pop out, and Lane Thomas looking at a strikeout.
The Yankees began the game strong with Gleyber Torres hitting a single on the first pitch from Williams, followed by Juan Soto’s 414-foot home run, giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.
This is Gil’s first start after an extended break and he expressed confidence going into the game. The Yankees are leading the series two games to one in this best-of-seven contest.
Due to an injury, Ian Hamilton was unable to continue after Game 3 and was replaced by Mark Leiter Jr. While lefty Nestor Cortes was considered for activation, the team ultimately decided against it citing the need for caution.
In preparation for Game 4, Boone adjusted the lineup, placing Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the cleanup spot while moving Wells to eighth position, citing the need to restore balance in the lineup.
The Guardians’ batting order includes Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo, and Jose Ramirez, among others, with Williams on the mound.
Looking ahead, the potential pitching matchup for Game 5 is Yankees’ lefty Carlos Rodon against right-hander Tanner Bibee.
Game 5 will air at 8:08 p.m. on TBS and truTV, with streaming available on Max.