The New York Yankees (39-26) overcame a taxing night from their bullpen and got a clutch extra-inning hit from Cody Bellinger to secure a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians (37-31) on Monday night at Progressive Field. With Aaron Judge still sidelined by a stress fracture in his right rib, New York improved to 39-26 by finding enough offense to withstand several momentum swings and open the series with a win.
The Yankees wasted little time getting on the board. Paul Goldschmidt continued his recent hot stretch by launching a two-run homer in the first inning, giving New York an early lead. Bellinger helped extend the advantage in the third with a run-scoring fielder’s choice before Ryan McMahon added a solo homer in the fifth.
Cleveland battled back against a Yankees pitching staff that forced manager Aaron Boone to lean heavily on his bullpen. The turning point appeared to come in the sixth when Paul Blackburn surrendered a go-ahead home run to Angel Martínez, putting the Guardians in front 5-4.
New York answered immediately in the seventh. Singles from Trent Grisham and Ben Rice set the table before Goldschmidt tied the game with an RBI groundout. The Yankees threatened for more in the inning, but a stellar defensive play by Brayan Rocchio turned a potential rally into an inning-ending double play.
The game remained tied until the 10th. With runners in scoring position, Bellinger came through with the biggest swing of the night, lining a two-run single off Shawn Armstrong to give New York the lead for good. The Yankees’ bullpen then closed out the victory after seven relievers combined to navigate the final innings.
The series continues Tuesday at Progressive Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. New York is expected to send right-hander Will Warren to the mound against Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
