MLB Playoffs Roundup and Highlights: Yankees Stay Alive and Set Up a Decisive Game Five with the Guardians

Just MLB one game on the slate yesterday, but its outcome sets up another one-game slate today, and that’s a good thing! Otherwise, we’d be entirely game-less today.

Yes. This is what we want. Don’t get me wrong, the other three series at the LDS level had their moments of excitement (clearly!), but I was definitely hoping we’d get at least one Game Five. You want that sudden death game sometimes.

The Yankees kept the series alive on the strength of a dominant Gerrit Cole outing – that’s what they pay him for – with the only blemish being a Jose Ramirez bloop single, and the rock-a-baby Josh Naylor home run:

How did Cole react to Naylor’s celebration, which included not only the baby rocking, but Naylor seeming to indicate that Cole is his little baby? He barely reacted at all. BOO! WE WANT TO FAN THE FLAMES:

That is, of course, the correct reaction to something like this. But it’s boring.

Anyway, back to the game. Harrison Bader hit his third homer of the postseason, so I tend to doubt the Yankees are regretting that Jordan Montgomery trade anymore. Anthony Rizzo started the scoring with an RBI single in the first.

The sides now get to do the Game Five, winner-moves-on thing, and I love the way Guardians manager Terry Francona talked about it:

He’s right. For most teams, if you could tell them in March that they have the chance to be in a decisive Game Five in the LDS come October, they would ABSOLUTELY LOVE that. I know I would as a Cubs fan in March 2023.

Game Five is tonight at 6:07pm CT, with Aaron Civale facing Jameson Taillon on TBS. The winner gets the Houston Astros in the ALCS, starting on Wednesday. The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres kick off the NLCS tomorrow.

Full game highlights from the Yankees and Guardians in Game Four: