Rookie starter Will Warren impressed on the mound for the Yankees (14-10) on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, but a sloppy sixth inning proved costly as New York dropped its second straight game to the Cleveland Guardians (14-9), 3-2.
Ben Rice wasted no time making an impact in his return from a bruised elbow, launching a leadoff homer on the game’s first pitch. Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 2-0, backing a sharp performance from Warren, who bounced back from a rough last start by limiting Cleveland to one hit through five innings.
However, things quickly unraveled in the sixth after Warren allowed two straight singles to start the inning, leading to a pitching change, but Mark Leiter Jr. couldn’t stop the bleeding. A passed ball, RBI double, and infield single handed Cleveland a 3-2 lead, with two of those runs charged to Warren, who struck out five over five-plus innings.
The Yankees struggled to generate offense after the sixth. Aaron Judge was the lone bright spot, going 4-for-4 and extending his on-base streak to 20 games, but New York’s final 16 batters managed just one hit. Cade Smith closed it out for the Guardians in the ninth on just four pitches.
The series wraps up Wednesday afternoon with Carlos Rodón on the mound, looking to help the Yankees avoid the three-game sweep. The first pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].