NEW YORK (AFP) — Cleveland’s David Fry smashed the game-winning home run in the 10th inning on Thursday to give the Guardians a dramatic 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
The Guardians, one out from defeat, capped a stunning fightback on Fry’s two-run blast to pull within 2-1 of the Yankees in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series, which continues Friday in Cleveland.
“When everybody thinks we can’t do it, we think we can,” Fry said. “What a win. That was so good. It was fun.”
In the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers grabbed a 3-1 series lead over the New York Mets with a 10-2 blowout triumph as Shohei Ohtani homered and scored four times while Mookie Betts drove in four runs on four hits, including a homer.
“Feels great to know I can do it at this time,” Betts said. “At crunch time it’s always great to know I can come through for the boys.”
The Dodgers can advance with a game-five triumph on Friday in New York.
“One win away,” Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman said. “Hopefully have my first chance to play in a World Series pretty soon.”
At Cleveland, Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning to give New York the lead and the Yankees added an insurance run in the ninth for a 5-3 edge.
But in the bottom of the ninth with the hosts one out from trailing in the series 3-0, Cleveland pinch-hitter Jhonkensy Noel smashed a two-run homer into the left-field stands, the Dominican rookie lifting the Guardians level 5-5 to force extra innings.
New York stranded two base runners in the top of the 10th, setting the stage for Cleveland’s walk-off win.
Bo Naylor singled and took second base on Brayan Rocchio’s sacrifice bunt before Fry smashed the game-winning homer off Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes over the left-field wall.
“I had a really good feeling,” Fry said. “Amazing. I still don’t know what happened but it ended up we won.
“It’s so awesome. It’s surreal. We’ve got a lot more to do, though, but it was fun tonight.”
The Yankees will try to recover from the near-miss for game four.
“They scratched and clawed their way back in,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Sucks losing like that but we’ll be ready to roll tomorrow.”
The Yankees have not reached the World Series since winning their record 27th title in 2009 while Cleveland, which last reached the World Series in 2016, has not captured the crown since 1948.
Dodgers dominate
At New York, Ohtani and Mets slugger Mark Vientos traded solo homers in the first inning.
Ohtani scored again in the third when he walked, advanced on a Betts single and scored on Edman’s double, with Betts scoring on an Enrique Hernandez single for a 3-1 Dodgers lead.
The Mets answered in the third on Brandon Nimmo’s run-scoring ground out, but the Dodgers stretched their lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Chris Taylor singled, Ohtani walked and both scored on a Betts double.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out eight while allowing two runs on four hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Three relievers kept the Mets scoreless after that.
Ohtani walked in the sixth and scored again when Betts blasted a two-run homer for a 7-2 advantage.
Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy singled in the seventh to reach base in the playoffs for a record-tying 12th consecutive time but the streak ended with a strikeout in the eighth.
“That’s pretty cool,” Muncy said. “That means I’m getting on base for my teammates to drive me in.”
Also in the eighth, Betts singled and Teoscar Hernandez walked and both scored on an Edman double. A Will Smith single plated Edman for the final run.
The Dodgers were without first baseman Freddie Freeman due to a right ankle injury.
The Dodgers, trying to reach their fourth World Series in eight seasons, last won the crown in 2020. The Mets have not reached the World Series since 2015.
