CLEVELAND @ NY YANKEES (NYY -160, 7.5)
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GUARDIANS @ YANKEES 10/14/24
The American League Championship series between the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Yankees continues with Game 2 tonight. The Yankees took Game 1 with a 5-2 win last night. Game 2 in the Bronx will pit Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (1-0, 3.00/8-5, 3.41) against Guardians righty Tanner Bibee (0-0, 2.08/12-8, 3.47).
The Cleveland Guardians are attempting to win a World Series Championship for the first time since 1948. They haven’t played in a World Series since 1997. In Game 1, Yankees' starter Carlos Rodon recorded nine strikeouts in six innings. Brayan Rocchio's home run accounted for the only run scored against Rodon. Guardians starter Alex Cobb was unable to finish the third inning.
Tanner Bibee, the Guardians' most reliable pitcher in 2024, will start Game 2. Despite pitching fewer innings in the postseason, Bibee has been excellent. Bibee doesn’t have a decision in his two starts, but he has an ERA of 2.08 and has given up eight hits in 8.2 innings pitched. In his two starts, Bibee has walked three and struck out nine batters. The Guardians have been able to use a short leash with their starting pitchers because of their excellent bullpen.
During the regular season, Bibee went 12-8 in 31 starts with an ERA of 3.47. Although Bibee did not play against the Yankees during the regular season, he excelled on the road. With a clean 2.76 ERA in 15 road starts, Bibee went 7-4.
The Yankees are attempting to win their first World Series since 2009. The 18-year drought from 1978 to 1996 is the longest in team history. This season, the Yankees prevailed over the Orioles to win the AL East, then went on to defeat the Royals 3-1 in the NLDS.
Game 2 will feature 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole for the Yankees. Cole has made two starts in the playoffs. He shut down the Royals on one run in seven innings of work. In the postseason, he has given up 13 hits in 12 innings and is still getting used to a little slower pace, which has resulted in fewer strikeouts. In his two starts so far, he has eight strikeouts and two walks.
After missing the first part of the season to recover from a shoulder injury, Cole returned to finish 8-5 in 17 starts with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 95 innings. In his lone start of the season against Cleveland, Cole was excellent. He pitched six innings, giving up just one hit without giving up any runs. He struck out two in the Yankees' victory. This season, he has a 4.31 ERA and is 3-2 at home.
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With two aces on the mound tonight, runs should be hard to come by. Bibee actually pitches better on the road than at home (2.74 road ERA). Cole has been sharp in the postseason. In his last outing, he pitched 7 innings and allowed just 1 ER. He also has had great success against the current Guardians lineup. In 142 plate appearances, opponents have a .327 xwOBA against Cole. In one start against Cleveland this season, Cole went 6 innings and didn’t allow a single run. Bibee hasn’t gone past the fourth inning in the postseason, but he hasn’t allowed more than 2 ER either.