The Yankees will now go home and get some rest, as the ALCS doesn't begin until Monday. The Guardians and Tigers, meanwhile, head back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Saturday.
The Yankees got on the board after just three pitches, thanks to a Gleyber Torres leadoff single and a Juan Soto RBI double. Gerrit Cole took it from there, pitching an excellent seven innings with six hits and one allowed, no walks and four strikeouts. The offense tacked on one run in the fifth and sixth innings, with Giancarlo Stanton and Torres finishing with two hits and an RBI each. Luke Weaver notched the save with a clean ninth inning.
The Royals, meanwhile, couldn't get much going on offense outside of their sixth-inning strike, when Bobby Witt Jr. singled to right field and Vinnie Pasquantino followed with an RBI double. They went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, leaving four men on base. Kansas City starter Michael Wacha pitched 4 2/3 innings with six hits and two earned runs allowed, one walk and two strikeouts.
The Yankees will have to wait until Saturday night to find out whether they'll be facing the Guardians or Tigers in the ALCS on Monday.
David Fry’s two-run, pinch-hit home run off Beau Brieske gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning of Game 4 on Thursday. Fry later drove in another run in the ninth on a safety squeeze bunt that scored Brayan Rocchio.
Closer Emmanuel Clase got an opportunity to redeem himself for the three-run homer he gave up in Game 2 when Guardians manager Stephen Vogt brought him in with one out and two runners on in the eighth inning.
Clase retired the first two batters he faced. In the ninth, he gave up a run on a leadoff double by Justyn-Henry Malloy and an RBI grounder by Jace Jung. Then Clase struck out Matt Vierling to close out the 5-4 victory and force Game 5.
The Tigers are expected to start Tarik Skubal in Game 5, while Matthew Boyd will likely go for the Guardians.
Bobby Witt Jr. got on base with a single to right field, setting the stage for Vinnie Pasquantino's double to get the Royals going. It's Yankees 3, Royals 1 at the end of the sixth.
The benches and bullpens have cleared in Kansas City. The Yankees and Royals are chirping at one another after New York turned a 3-6 double play and Maikel Garcia had words with some players.
No punches thrown. The crowd has dispersed. Yankees still lead, 3-0.
Gerrit Cole has allowed two hits and no walks and has struck out four Royals through five. He's at just 61 pitches.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Yankees knock Michael Wacha out in the 5th inning
Singles from Anthony Volpe, Jon Berti and then Gleyber Torres to drive in a run forced manager Matt Quatraro to make a change, swapping Wacha for Lucas Erceg. The reliever had to throw just two pitches to end the inning with a Juan Soto flyout.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Guardians force Game 5!
With a 5-4 win, the series will go back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 5 on Saturday.
The Guardians now lead 5-3 with one out and two runners on in the top of the ninth.
Ian Casselberry
CLE-DET: Guardians threatening to add to 4-3 lead
Two consecutive one-out singles by Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan (3-for-5) gives Cleveland runners on first and second with one out in the top of the ninth.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is bringing in Will Vest to replace Jackson Jobe.
Yahoo Sports Staff
NYY-KC: Yankees still lead in the 3rd
The Royals (specifically Tommy Pham) got into the hit column in the bottom of the second but didn't get anything to show for it, as the rest of the inning went 1-2-3.
In the top of the third, Michael Wacha walked Aaron Judge to lead it off but then got a double play and a pop-out to Bobby Witt Jr.
Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase will get a chance to redeem himself after giving up Kerry Carpenter's 3-run homer in Game 2. But he'll have to get five outs to finish Game 4.
Tigers have runners on first and second with one out.
Ian Casselberry
CLE-DET: Colt Keith saves a run
Cleveland nearly added another run to its 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. Will Brennan was on second base after a two-out double and probably would have scored had a grounder by Andres Gimenez gotten through for a hit.
But Colt Keith's diving stop kept the ball in the infield, and he threw Gimenez out at first to end the inning.
Giancarlo Stanton led off the second with a double, but after that, the Yankees went down in order. In the bottom half, Gerrit Cole remained efficient, sending the Royals down in order.
Ian Casselberry
CLE-DET: David Fry hits 2-run homer for 4-3 Guardians lead
Pinch-hitter David Fry hits a two-run homer off Beau Brieske for a 4-3 Guardians lead.
Tigers left-hander Sean Guenther got the first two outs of the seventh inning, but Steven Kwan reached on a single.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch brought in right-hander Brieske to face Fry, and a wild pitch moved Kwan to second. Brieske then grooved a 97.5 mph fastball down the middle of the strike zone, and Fry did not miss.
Yahoo Sports Staff
NYY-KC: Yankees in the driver's seat after 1st inning
Gerrit Cole struck out two Royals hitters in an efficient, 1-2-3 bottom half of the first inning. Onto the second...
Hunter Gaddis came on in relief and struck out Colt Keith. Detroit then pinch-hit Wenceel Pérez for Spencer Torkelson. Pérez drops a single to left field to drive in Kerry Carpenter for a 3-2 Tigers lead.
The Detroit Red Wings are opening their season a half-mile down Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit and currently have the Tigers game on in Little Caesars Arena.
Kerry Carpenter singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth for Detroit. After striking out Matt Vierling, Cade Smith walked Riley Greene.
With that, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is bringing in Hunter Gaddis to pitch. Two on, one out for the Tigers.
Ian Casselberry
Quick reflexes by Tigers' Tyler Holton
The Detroit Red Wings open their 2024-25 season tonight, but Tyler Holton showed some goaltender-like reflexes for the Tigers in snaring a line drive by Will Brennan.
Holton pitched a scoreless top of the sixth. Detroit's turn to bat.
Ian Casselberry
Zach McKinstry ties it 2-2 with solo home run
Zack McKinstry hits an opposite field home run to left field lead off the bottom of the fifth. The game is tied at 2-2 and Tanner Bibee is done for Cleveland.
Holton pitched in Wednesday's Game 3 but threw only 11 pitches.
Ian Casselberry
Scoreless 4th for Detroit
Riley Greene leads off the bottom of the fourth with a single. But Tanner Bibee struck out Colt Keith looking, then got Spencer Torkelson to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Bibee has thrown 59 pitches, but Cade Smith was warming up for the Guardians.
Ian Casselberry
Guardians go down in order for top of the 4th
Reese Olson threw a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Andres Gimenez helped him out by popping a bunt out in first base foul territory to lead off the frame. Josh Naylor then grounded out to second base, followed by Brayan Rocchio lining out to right field.
That appears to be it for Olson, who's thrown 74 pitches. He's getting handshakes and hugs in the Tigers' dugout.
Handshake from A.J. Hinch for Reese Olson.
4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, BB, 4 K 74 pitches, 47 strikes
Tyler Holton was warming as Olson retired bottom of Guardians lineup in order in 4th. He threw just 11 pitches in his Game 3 save yesterday.
Tanner Bibee gets his first 1-2-3 inning in the third. Parker Meadows grounded out to second, Kerry Carpenter struck out, and Matt Vierling grounded out to shortstop to end the frame.
Guardians 1, Tigers 1 going to the fourth inning.
Ian Casselberry
Guardians threaten but do not score
Reese Olson appeared to be in some trouble after giving up two consecutive two-out singles to Josh Naylor and Lane Thomas (2-for-2 thus far). But he struck out Will Brennan to end Cleveland's threat.
However, Tanner Bibee avoids further damage by getting Jake Rogers to line out to Brayan Rocchio at shortstop. Rocchio then doubled Spencer Torkelson off second to end the inning.
Ian Casselberry
Bases loaded for Detroit
Tanner Bibee could be in trouble in the bottom of the second inning. He walked Colt Keith, followed by a single from Spencer Torkelson. Bibee then walked Zach McKinstry to load the bases with no outs.
Ian Casselberry
Scoreless top of 2nd for Cleveland
Reese Olson struck out Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor to begin the top of the second inning before walking Brayan Rocchio. Steven Kwan popped out to shortstop to end the inning.
Ian Casselberry
1st inning: Guardians 1, Tigers 0
Parker Meadows led off the bottom of the first with a double, but Tanner Bibee stranded him there. Kerry Carpenter struck out, Matt Vierling popped out to second base, and Riley Greene flew out to left field to end the inning.
Ian Casselberry
Tanner Bibee vs. Tigers
Tanner Bibee had a 4.50 ERA versus Detroit in four starts this season. He allowed 11 earned runs and 19 hits in 22 innings with 19 strikeouts.
In Game 1 of the ALDS, Bibee pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up four hits.
Ian Casselberry
Tigers allow only one run in the 1st
Considering the first two batters reached, Reese Olson was fortunate to give up only one run. He got Jose Ramirez to fly out to left and struck out Josh Naylor before Lane Thomas' RBI single. Will Brennan grounded out to third base to end the inning.
Ian Casselberry
Guardians strike first
Lane Thomas drives in Steven Kwan, who advanced to third on a stolen base, with two outs. Guardians take an early 1–0 lead.
Steven Kwan led off with a single and Kyle Manzardo followed with a single of his own. Cleveland threatening early on.
Ian Casselberry
Reese Olson vs. Guardians
Reese Olson had a 3.00 ERA versus Cleveland in two starts this season, allowing four earned runs and seven hits in 12 innings. He racked up seven strikeouts.
Ian Casselberry
Tigers lineup, Game 4
Reese Olson starts the pitching chaos for the Tigers:
