Aaron Judge, Yankees top Guardians for 2-0 ALCS lead

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to pad the lead and finished with three RBIs as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 on Tuesday to take a two-games-to-none lead in the American League Championship Series.

New York, seeking its first trip to the World Series since 2009, has won the first two games of the ALCS for the first time since 2009 against the Los Angeles Angels. The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Thursday.

Judge hit his first postseason homer since Game 5 of the 2022 AL Division Series against Cleveland. On Tuesday, he sent a 1-1 fastball from Hunter Gaddis onto the netting in Monument Park beyond the center field fence to give the Yankees a 6-2 lead.

It was just his third hit of the postseason but his 14th career playoff homer.

In the first inning, Gleyber Torres scored New York's first run when Cleveland shortstop Brayan Rocchio dropped Judge's popup. Judge also lifted a sacrifice fly in the second to make it 3-0 after the Guardians opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases.

Alex Verdugo added an RBI double in between Judge's first two plate appearances. New York's Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double in the sixth.

Judge's blast occurred on a rocky night for New York ace Gerrit Cole, who allowed two runs on six hits in a laborious 4 1/3-inning outing. Cole struck out four and walked four in his shortest postseason outing since lasting two-plus innings in the 2021 wild-card game at Boston.

Cole stranded two in the third inning by retiring Jose Ramirez for the final out and left the bases loaded in the fourth by getting a called third strike with his curveball to Rocchio.

Cleveland pulled within 3-1 on Josh Naylor's sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Cole was replaced by Clay Holmes after walking Lane Thomas to load the bases with one out. Holmes gave up a run-scoring groundout to Will Brennan, walked the bases loaded again but then struck out Austin Hedges to end the inning.

Holmes (2-0) was among four New York relievers who combined to pitch 4 2/3 innings. Luke Weaver allowed a one-out homer to Ramirez in the ninth before closing out the win.

Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. He fanned two and walked one. The Guardians used seven relievers the rest of the way.

--Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media