Guardians hit – José Ramírez hit one of Cleveland’s three homers off Gerrit Cole as the Guardians beat the Yankees 5-4 on Wednesday night. Aaron Judge missed a second straight game with a bone bruise in his upper right rib, while Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins powered Clevela
NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole was still on the mound when José Ramírez turned it into a statement. Ramírez launched one of Cleveland’s three home runs off the Yankees right-hander and finished with three hits for the second straight game as the Guardians held on to beat New York 5-4 on Wednesday night.
For the Yankees. the night came with another layer of worry: Aaron Judge missed his second game in a row because of a bone bruise in his upper right rib that has been causing pain in his right shoulder. Judge was scheduled to see a specialist Wednesday. and the Yankees were still waiting for more information. manager Aaron Boone said before the game.
Cleveland didn’t just win a pitch-by-pitch battle. It backed Cole into leaving the ball over the plate. Kyle Manzardo homered for the second straight night in the Bronx and added two doubles. Rhys Hoskins also went deep and drove in three runs for the Guardians. who improved to a major league-best 10-1 on the road since May 6.
The Guardians arrived with momentum in the standings, too. Cleveland has won 15 of 20 overall, and it will try to complete a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon in this matchup of American League contenders.
Gavin Williams helped seal the win with his own steady stretch. Williams allowed three runs and struck out six over 5 1/3 innings to win his fourth consecutive start for Cleveland. His run of reliability is part of why this victory mattered: Williams had lasted at least six innings in a career-high eight straight starts. In the ninth, Cade Smith allowed a run before converting his big league-leading 21st save and 18th in a row.
That finish gave Cleveland something it had been seeking. The Guardians won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since September 2021, and including the postseason, New York had won nine of its past 10 completed series against Cleveland since 2022.
Cole’s night ended with numbers that didn’t match his reputation this season. Cole finished 1-1 after giving up four runs and six hits with only two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner had pitched 12 2/3 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in two starts this season after returning from reconstructive elbow surgery.
For the Yankees, the offense came from multiple directions, even with injuries casting a long shadow. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero homered for New York. Cody Bellinger added a pair of sacrifice flies.
The injury report didn’t stop with Judge. New York designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton was dealing with a right calf strain. and outfielder Jasson Domínguez was out with a left shoulder strain. Both took live batting practice against teammate Angel Chivilli, who was dealing with right shoulder discomfort. Stanton is scheduled for a similar session Saturday. Domínguez will begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday.
Cleveland’s own health situation also shaped the flow of the day. Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias, on the 60-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, will start a rehab assignment Thursday at Triple-A Columbus.
Thursday’s series finale already has its matchup set: Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (3-5, 5.25 ERA) was scheduled to face LHP Carlos Rodón (1-2, 3.32).
Guardians Yankees José Ramírez Gerrit Cole Aaron Judge Kyle Manzardo Rhys Hoskins Gavin Williams Cade Smith MLB American League