NEW YORK – Juan Soto homered to kickstart a three-run third inning, and it soon felt like the Yankees had moved into the HOV lane toward the World Series.
Carlos Rodon was cruising, while Cleveland Guardians’ starter Alex Cobb suffered an early knockout.
The reliever that followed Cobb, lefty Joey Cantillo, unleashed four wild pitches – plating two runs – but the Yanks never took full advantage of Cleveland’s unforced errors.
And by the eighth inning of Monday night’s AL Championship Series opener, Cleveland suddenly had the tying run at the plate with one out, an October spot that required a lockdown closer.
In this pressurized, playoff atmosphere, the Yankees have – in record time – come to rely on Luke Weaver’s late-game presence, as reflected in the sellout crowd’s reaction.
Given a hero’s welcome at chilly Yankee Stadium, Weaver quickly quelled the Guardians’ rally, then finished a five-out save in a 5-2 Yankees win before 47,264 fans.
Cool hand 'Luuuuuke'
Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) celebrates after getting the last of game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
All four of the Yankees’ 2024 postseason wins have been saved by Weaver, who remade his delivery after posting a 6.87 ERA as a Cincinnati Reds starter in 2023 and ending up in the Yanks’ bullpen.
Weaver gained momentum as a multi-inning bullpen weapon this season, but “I don’t think anybody really knew if he was going to take it and run with it,’’ pitching coach Matt Blake said of Weaver’s early September assignment as closer.
“There’s been plenty of guys who’ve tried to get the last three outs and struggle with it,’’ said Blake. “The fact he’s been able to be himself and attack the zone is great to see.’’
And the “Being Weaver’’ part, that’s a unique thing. But the crowd isn’t going “Luuuuke’’ in the ninth inning because he’s quirky and quotable.
They can sense a strikeout, and Weaver fanned four of the six batters he faced – including fanning the side after walking Lane Thomas to start the ninth.
After ending that eighth-inning jam by retiring the dangerous Jose Ramirez, “I felt like the adrenaline was a little depleted’’ coming back in the ninth, “trying to ramp back up.’’
Once Thomas walked, Weaver had a “what are we doing?’’ moment. “The fans don’t come here to watch that.’’
Carlos Rodon channels the Yankees' ace
Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Weaver’s chance on Monday night was owed to Rodon’s six-inning, one-run effort, and another painless, scoreless frame by ex-closer Clay Holmes in the seventh.
More positive signs that this could be the Yanks’ year: Rodon made good on a promise to channel some of Gerrit Cole’s persona from Thursday’s Division Series clincher at Kansas City.
“Mentally, I was taking notes on how he was going about it,’’ said Rodon. “And I just wanted to kind of go about it the same way.’’
That meant being in “complete command of his emotions,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, who watched Rodon use “intensity, but with a lot of poise’’ to hand off a 4-1 lead.
Having flamed out in the fourth inning of last week’s ALDS Game 2 loss at the Stadium, “I had it under control’’ most of Monday night, Rodon said of using a fastball-slider combo with some cutters and changeups to keep Cleveland on its heels.
If the Yanks get more of this version of Rodon – nine strikeouts, zero walks, three hits allowed – they’ll be that much closer to the Canyon of Heroes.
And they’ll need more than Aaron Judge’s fine defense in center – he delivered his first RBI of this postseason with a sac fly, after another short-circuited first inning rally.
Playing the part of Mr. October, Giancarlo Stanton’s monstrous, seventh inning solo homer became a memorable and timely insurance run for the eighth inning jam Weaver entered.
“(Weaver) loves it. He’s such a great human being first,’’ said Anthony Rizzo (1-for-3, walk) who made his October debut after fracturing two fingers in late September.
“He’s been lights out ever since he’s got the ninth inning,’’ said Rizzo, “but it’s going to take the whole (bullpen) arsenal’’ to carry through October.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Luke Weaver's lockdown performance seals Yankees' ALCS Game 1 victory