Yankees on the brink of elimination
Three matchups in the playoff round of the Major League Baseball Divisional Series ended Saturday, but one game remains to be played Sunday, and one of baseball’s most prestigious franchises has its season on the line.
The New York Yankees face a must-win Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series against the Cleveland Rangers, who dumped them on the field Saturday in Game 1 at Progressive Field.
Will New York extend its season by forcing a showdown Monday in the Bronx, or will Cleveland face the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series?
Here’s our game information, lineups, headlines, what to follow and pregame predictions.
New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians
7:07 PM ET
Guardians lead the series 2-1
Yankees Starter: Gerrit Cole (13-8, 3.50 ERA, 257 K)
Starter for the Guardians: Cal Quantrill (15-5, 3.38 ERA, 128 K)
Starting lineups:
YANKEES
To be determined
GUARDIANS
To be announced
To Watch: Terry Francona said the Guardians’ hope during Game 3 was to put the Yankees in a position where they had to use their best relievers while avoiding using their own key guys in that department like Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan. Mission accomplished. Now, the Guardians are one game away from eliminating the Yankess, with a rested bullpen and at home, in front of a crowd that promises to be even more raucous than Saturday’s. For New York, the main factor that can deflect the attention currently focused on manager Aaron Boone is Gerrit Cole coming out, dominating and leaving in Game 4. Bradford Doolittle
Predictions:
Joon Lee: Yankees, 5-2. Cole comes out solid on the mound for the Yankees and New York forces a decisive Game 5 in the Bronx.
Alden Gonzalez: Yankees, 4-1. Cole has pitched very well against the Keepers this season, allowing just three runs in 19 innings over three starts, including Game 1 of this series. That will allow the Yankees to continue the season in Game 4.
Bradford Doolittle: 3-1 Guardians. The Yankees are Gulliver and the Guardians are the Lilliputians, and if I remember the story correctly, the Lilliputians did a good job of keeping Gulliver manhandled. Plus, the Guardians bullpen is rested and ready to finish this engagement.
Jeff Passan: Yankees 3-2. Cal Quantrill has never lost a game at Progressive Field, but the Yankees, behind another great performance from Gerrit Cole, will sign off with the win and force a decisive Game 5 on Monday at Yankee Stadium.
