The Cleveland Guardians stunned the New York Yankees 7-5 on a walk-off home run by David Fry to take Game 3 of the ALCS. After dropping Games 1 and 2, Cleveland needed a response at home to keep its World Series hopes alive. The Guardians answered with clutch late-inning heroics in front of an electric crowd.
The Yankees struck first in the second inning on a Jose Trevino RBI single that brought home Anthony Volpe. New York grabbed a 1-0 lead, continuing a trend of early pressure in the series. However, Cleveland refused to let the moment snowball.
Despite ranking 22nd in batting average during the regular season, the Guardians sparked their offense in the third inning. Kyle Manzardo launched a two-run homer, scoring Brayan Rocchio and swinging the lead to Cleveland at 2-1. The home run energized the ballpark and shifted momentum.
Cleveland added another run in the sixth inning after two scoreless frames. Andrés Giménez singled to center, allowing Lane Thomas to score after stealing third base. The Guardians extended their lead to 3-1 and appeared in control.
That control vanished quickly in the eighth inning. Aaron Judge crushed a two-run homer off a 99-mph cutter to tie the game at 3-3. Moments later, Giancarlo Stanton followed with a solo shot, giving the Yankees back-to-back homers and a sudden 4-3 lead.
Emmanuel Clase, one of baseball’s most dominant relievers, surrendered three runs in the inning. Volpe scored again in the ninth to extend the Yankees’ lead to 5-3, pushing Cleveland to the brink of elimination.
With the season on the line, rookie Jhonkensy Noel delivered the biggest swing of his young career. After Josh Naylor grounded into a double play, Noel launched a two-run homer off Luke Weaver’s changeup. The blast tied the game at 5-5 and reignited hope throughout Progressive Field.
The Guardians carried that momentum into extra innings. Pedro Avila delivered a massive performance in the 10th inning, striking out both Judge and Volpe while working around two walks. Cleveland earned one last chance to end it.
Bo Naylor opened the bottom of the 10th inning with a single and advanced to third base on a sacrifice fly by Rocchio. With one out and the crowd on its feet, David Fry stepped to the plate. He crushed a 399-foot, two-run homer to left-center, sealing a walk-off 7-5 victory.
The win kept Cleveland’s ALCS hopes alive and flipped the series’ emotional tone. What appeared to be a commanding Yankees lead turned into a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of October baseball.
Fry’s homer secured a crucial victory for the Guardians and breathed new life into their series against the Yankees. With this win, the Guardians now have a chance to even the series at 2-2 in Cleveland on Friday night.
They’re one step closer to their first World Series appearance since 2016.
Yep, we have one too
