The term "drought" gets thrown around often in sports for teams that haven't made the playoffs or won a championship in some time. The word can mean different things to different fan bases in different contexts, and the 2024 American League Championship Series is all about the context of the word "drought."
The New York Yankees, winners of 27 World Series championships, are in a bit of a title drought. The franchise hasn't won the World Series in 15 years, the third-longest span they've gone without winning since their first title in 1921. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the rest of the modern Bronx Bombers are looking to change that in 2024, as the top-seeded Yankees are in the ALCS for the sixth time since they last made it to — and won — the Fall Classic in 2009.
A title drought has a completely different meaning for the Cleveland Guardians, who last won the World Series in 1948 and have won the AL pennant only four times since then. This year's version finished second in the AL in wins — behind only the Yankees — and took out their AL Central rival Detroit Tigers in the ALDS to get here.
Two more strikeouts for Carlos Rodon in a 1-2-3 top of the fifth. He has nine strikeouts for the game and needed only 11 pitches to finish out the frame.
Rodon has allowed only two hits through five innings on 70 pitches.
Ian Casselberry
3 fly ball outs for the Yankees in the 4th
Pedro Avila gets three fly ball outs, though one scored a run. Aaron Judge, Austin Wells and Giancarlo Stanton each fly out, and the Guardians finally get out of the fourth inning.
Ian Casselberry
Aaron Judge has first RBI of the postseason
Yankees lead 4–0 on an Aaron Judge sacrifice fly to center field.
Joey Cantillo's control continues to be an issue. After bouncing two wild pitches and letting two runs score in the third, the left-hander threw two more wild pitches.
He walked Gleyber Torres to lead off the frame. Torres then advanced to second with another wild pitch, throwing a curveball that didn't curve and went high over Bo Naylor. One more bounced pitch moved Torres to third.
Another two wild pitches for Joey Cantillo, his third and fourth of the night pic.twitter.com/Gf2VxjM5Qg
After walking Juan Soto, Cantillo is out. Runners on first and third with no outs as Pedro Avila takes the mound for Cleveland.
Ian Casselberry
No trouble in the 4th for Carlos Rodon
The fourth inning was where Carlos Rodon ran into trouble during his ALDS Game 2 start versus the Royals.
But he cruises through the fourth against the Guardians, getting Jose Ramirez to line out to center feld before striking out Lane Thomas and Josh Naylor to end the frame.
Cantillo then walked Anthony Rizzo to reload the bases, prompting a visit from Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis.
Ian Casselberry
Alex Cobb is out
Alex Cobb walked Giancarlo Stanton after being checked on by trainers. That was followed by getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fly out to left. But after walking Anthony Volpe to load the bases, Stephen Vogt got his starting pitcher out of the game.
Left-hander Joey Cantillo is in for the Guardians to face Anthony Rizzo.
Ian Casselberry
Trainers check on Alex Cobb
After walking Aaron Judge on seven pitches, trainers come out to check on Alex Cobb. He's been dealing with a blister and cracked fingernail.
He's staying in the game, however, and struck out Austin Wells on a splitter.
Yankees strike first
Juan Soto has his first postseason home run as a Yankee, crushing a hanging sinker to center field.
Carlos Rodon sandwiched strikeouts of Brayan Rocchio and David Fry around a Steven Kwan flyout to left field. He finished the top of the third in 10 pitches.
Alex Cobb has better control of his sinker than he did in ALDS Game 3 versus Detroit. He struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. with it, then got Anthony Volpe to ground out to third.
But Anthony Rizzo hit that sinker for a single in his return to the Yankees lineup. That was followed by another single from Alex Verdugo.
Cobb finished the inning by getting Gleyber Torres to ground out to third.
Yankees have stranded four runners through two innings. Scoreless headed to the third pic.twitter.com/C7ElOrtRoa
After Josh Naylor struck out to lead off the second, Jhonkensy Noel got a one-out single. But Carlos Rodon retired Bo Naylor on a fly out to right field and struck out Andres Gimenez to get out of the inning.
After allowing two consecutive singles to begin the bottom of the first, Alex Cobb struck out Aaron Judge, got Austin Wells to ground out to second base, and ended the inning with Giancarlo Stanton flying out to left field.
(Did the wind hold up that fly ball? Maybe...)
Ian Casselberry
Aaron Judge called out on strikes
Aaron Judge struck out looking. But Alex Cobb got an extremely generous call on a splitter that was low and inside, way out of the strike zone.
Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto have both hit singles to begin the bottom of the first.
Two runners on, no outs.
Ian Casselberry
Carlos Rodon throws a scoreless 1st inning
Carlos Rodon gave up a one-out single to David Fry after retiring Steven Kwan. But he followed up by getting Jose Ramirez to fly out and striking out ALDS Game 5 hero Lane Thomas.
Yankees coming up in the bottom of the first.
Ian Casselberry
Stiff wind in right field
Jose Ramirez's fly ball to right field ran into the strong wind blowing in at the part of Yankee Stadium.
Ian Casselberry
Kwan vs. Rodon: 9-pitch at-bat
Steven Kwan flys out to lead off the top of the first inning. But he grinded out a nine-pitch at-bat versus Carlos Rodon.
Ian Casselberry
Pregame festivities and intros underway at Yankee Stadium