Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver joins Mariano Rivera in the MLB record books in their ALCS win vs. the Guardians.
The New York Yankees have drawn first blood in their ALCS series versus the Cleveland Guardians, as Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton helped them pull out a 5-2 victory in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium. In the win, Stanton hit his 13th career postseason home run while the Guardians threw five wild pitches and walked nine batters. However, one of the main stories in the Yankees’ postseason run is the emergence of closer Luke Weaver, who joined the legendary Mariano Rivera in the MLB record books after the win.
“Luke Weaver is the 3rd pitcher with 3 saves of more than 3 outs in his team’s first 5 games of a postseason (saves official since ’69), joining 2000 Mariano Rivera [and] 1981 Rich Gossage,” as reported by MLB reporter Sarah Langs on X, formerly Twitter.
ALCS Game 1: Yankees def. Guardians, Yankees lead 1-0
The Yankees hope to win their record 41st American League pennant, their first since winning the World Series in 2009. Of course, the players know how important it was to deal the first punch in a seven-game series.
“Getting the start-off win is big. It’s a message in its own,” Stanton said after the game, via the Associated Press.
Moreover, in the loss, the Guardians tied a postseason record of throwing five wild pitches in a postseason game, and they also became the second team to throw two wild pitches that scored a run in an inning of postseason baseball.
Jose Cantillo threw four wild pitches out of the five, too.
“That performance was obviously the difference in the game, so that’s on me,” Cantillo conceded.
In all, the Guardians walked six batters in a nine-batter span, ultimately walking nine overall. Meanwhile, the Yankees have already walked 36 times in five playoff games this year.
After taking Game 1, the Yankees have improved their chances of winning the ALCS against the Guardians. Prior to this year’s playoffs, teams winning Game 1 of a 2-3-2 best-of-seven series have won the whole thing 66 out of 99 times.
Besides Weaver’s pitching, soon-to-be free agent Juan Soto hit his first postseason homer for the Yankees off a high slider from Alex Cobb, electrifying the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium, which included Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
What’s next?
Still, the Yankees couldn’t afford to relax after winning one game. Anything can happen in the postseason. The team must remember what happened in the 2019 ALCS, where they won the first game at Houston against the Astros, only to lose the next three and get eliminated in six games.
“In our eyes, we haven’t done nothing yet. We’ve got to win three out of six, and we take that as three out of three,” Stanton said.
Game 2 returns to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the New York Mets have evened their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-3, in Game 2.
