Major League Baseball

2022 MLB Playoffs: Guardians stun Yankees with ninth-inning rally in Game 3

Updated Oct. 16, 2022 4:28 p.m. ET

By Deesha Thosar
FOX Sports MLB Writer

Five consecutive ninth-inning singles, a persistent offense and a rookie delivering the walk-off hit.

Down two runs with just two outs remaining, the Guardians came from behind against the Yankees’ taxed bullpen and rallied until there was nothing to do but rush the field and celebrate. Just when it seemed like the good vibes from a Game 2 win in the Bronx would be squashed, Cleveland found a way.

The Guardians beat the Yankees 6-5 in Game 3 of the ALDS on Saturday at Progressive Field. Just like that, the trio of home runs from Aaron Judge, Oswaldo Cabrera and Harrison Bader became irrelevant. The Guardians refused to back down, took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and forced the Yankees into an elimination game.

Oscar González's two-run single walks it off for the Guardians

Oscar González hits a two-run single to complete the Guardians' three-run, ninth-inning rally and beat the Yankees in Game 3.

What went right for the Guardians

Never say die. Cleveland hung in there until their final three outs to come from behind and do damage against the Yankees’ thin bullpen. The Guardians are pesky offensively, and with the lowest strikeout rate (18.2%) in the regular season, their lineup is a challenge for any opposing pitcher to navigate.

With one out in the ninth, Myles Straw and Steven Kwan collected back-to-back unanticipated singles. Straw's single to left was a 67.1 mph blooper that, in a replay of Friday in the Bronx, rookie Oswaldo Cabrera couldn’t catch, which allowed Straw to advance to second. Kwan followed with a 73.1 mph line drive to left field that moved Straw to third.

Following a Yankees pitching change, Amed Rosario delivered the first big hit with a 101.5 mph RBI single to left. Next up, José Ramírez didn't hesitate before sending a ground ball to shortstop and hustling to first for an infield single on a ball that left his bat at just 56.9 mph. The theme here is that Cleveland relied on soft contact to load the bases for game-winning rookie Oscar Gonzalez, whose two-run, walk-off single to center sealed the Guardians’ unexpected victory.

What went wrong for the Yankees

In the ninth inning Saturday, two Yankees relievers became the latest victims of Cleveland’s gritty offensive approach. The first man out of the Yankees ‘pen was Wandy Peralta, who was tasked with a seven-out save but failed to complete it. Peralta was pulled from his outing after Straw and Kwan reached in the ninth.

Then it was on reliever Clarke Schmidt to keep Cleveland from scoring. But the Guardians were ready to pounce. Schmidt allowed the walk-off hit to Cabrera, and the Yankees, stunned and silent, slunked down the tunnel after a loss.

Unfortunately for New York, the final moments of Game 3 were all too predictable. The Yankees entered the postseason with a thin bullpen due to Scott Effross' surprising Tommy John surgery and Aroldis Chapman's decision to forego a team workout, which kept him off the ALDS roster. Those were two relievers the Yankees had counted on contributing to their playoff run, and without them, manager Aaron Boone was forced to enter the ninth inning Saturday with a closer-by-committee.

The bullpen was always a troubling development for the Yankees, and on Saturday, it cost them a crucial win.

Key moment

It wasn’t just that Gonzalez delivered the thrilling walk-off hit; it was the way he did it. Schmidt’s fourth pitch to Gonzalez was actually perfect: an 86 mph slider that dotted the bottom corner of the zone. Gonzalez was behind in the count 1-2, and Schmidt’s slider would've fallen in for a strike for the final out of the game and a Yankees win.

But Gonzalez reached over the plate, extending both his arms so that his barrel could find the ball, before ripping it 117 feet to center fielder Harrison Bader. Rather than the ball finding a fielder, Gonzalez hit it in just the right spot — where no one was standing.

Gonzalez’s walk-off at-bat was the definition of terrific hitting against fantastic pitching. The reward was a 2-1 series lead for the Guardians.

What’s next

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will take the mound Sunday in Game 4 for the second time in the ALDS, following his successful Game 1 start. Cole will look to stave off elimination and bring the series back to the Bronx.

In an effort to stop that from happening, the Guardians will have right-hander Cal Quantrill on the hill. The Yankees tabbed Quantrill for three earned runs in Game 1. With a win Sunday, Cleveland can clinch a spot in the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.