By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND — Pinch-hitter Jhonkensy Noel tied the score with a two-out home run in the ninth inning and David Fry hit a two-run homer in the 10th, rallying the Cleveland Guardians over the New York Yankees, 7-5, on Thursday night and cutting their deficit to 2-1 in the American League Championship Series.
Cleveland led 3-1 in the eighth before Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and Giancarlo Stanton followed with a solo drive.
With the Guardians trailing 5-3 and one out from falling into a 3-0 series deficit, Lane Thomas doubled against Luke Weaver in the ninth before Noel tied it with his towering homer.
Bo Naylor singled leading off the 10th against Clay Holmes and Brayan Rocchio sacrificed. Naylor took third on a comebacker before Fry, who hit an AL Division Series-saving homer against Detroit, sent a 1-and-2 sinker into the left-field bleachers.
Fry was mobbed by his teammates, and the fans at Progressive Field erupted in cheers.
Cleveland can tie the series with a win on Friday.
Fry’s swing ended an instant October classic.
The Guardians, who have defied odds all season, were moments away from a heartbreaking loss after leading by two runs going into the eighth. Noel, who debuted in June, gave them new life by crushing a 1-and-0 pitch from Luke Weaver over the wall in left field to tie it 5-5.
Lane Thomas doubled with two outs off Weaver before Noel, known as Big Christmas, hit one of the biggest home runs in Cleveland history.
As he rounded the bases, fans danced on their seats and in the aisles in a moment reminiscent of Rajai Davis’ tying homer off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
The Fry and Noel shots came after Judge and Stanton had connected for their homers, putting the Yankees up 4-3 against Clase.
But the Guardians aren’t done, and still have a chance to end the longest World Series drought, stretching to 1948. At this point, it seems as if they’re capable of anything.
Judge homered in Game 2 but was batting just .143 (3 for 21) with eight strikeouts this October before coming to the plate against Clase, the AL’s saves leader and MLB’s most feared reliever in 2024.
After falling behind 1-and-2 in the count, Judge, who was on the field taking batting practice five hours before the game, sat back and drove a 99 mph cutter from Clase the opposite way to right, the ball just clearing the outfield wall.
New York’s players poured out of the dugout to celebrate as Judge, the likely AL MVP after hitting 58 homers in the regular season, circled the bases following his 15th postseason homer.
The Yankees, who had been held to three hits over the first seven innings, were still exchanging hugs and high-fives when Stanton crushed a 1-and-2 slider from Clase, sending it over the center field wall.
Clase had been impeccable all season, allowing just five runs and recording 34 consecutive saves while dominating almost every time he took the mound. But he was tagged for a three-run homer in the ninth by Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter in the ALDS before Judge and Stanton got him within a span of eight pitches.
New York had two on with no outs in the ninth but scored just one run, on Gleyber Torres’ sacrifice fly. Eli Morgan ended the inning by throwing a called third strike past Juan Soto.
Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run homer in the third for Cleveland.
The 30th postseason matchup between the Guardians and Yankees was another tightly contested matchup between two franchises who know each other well this time of year. This is their seventh meeting in the playoffs.
Cleveland finally got some length from a starter as Matthew Boyd went five innings, the most Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has permitted this postseason. The left-hander gave up two hits in the second before retiring 10 straight, seven on easy grounders.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Reliever Ian Hamilton was lifted in the sixth inning after appearing to hurt himself while covering first base. The team said he had left calf tightness. … Manager Aaron Boone said left-hander Nestor Cortes came through a brief batting practice pitching session on Wednesday without any issues. Cortes is recovering from an elbow strain and hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 18. If New York advances, he could be added to the World Series roster.
UP NEXT
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams will start Game 4, his first appearance of the postseason. The hard-throwing Williams had a disappointing regular season (3-10, 4.86 ERA), which began with him on the injured list for several months with an elbow issue. He’ll face Yankees right-hander Luis Gil, who went 15-7 during the regular season.
More to come on this story.
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