Juan Soto homered in the third inning, helping Carlos Rodon record his first playoff victory Monday in a 5-2 New York Yankees victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees scored three runs in the third inning to win this first game of the American League Championship Series.
The Guardians became the second team in Major League Baseball history to commit two bad pitches that allowed the opponent to score in a single inning and tied the record with five in a postseason year.
Guardian pitchers also allowed six walks during a sequence of nine Yankees batters at the plate. They totaled nine free passes for the entire match.
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 13th career long ball in the playoffs for the Yankees, who are seeking a 41st World Series appearance. The Bronx Bombers hitters drew 36 walks in five playoff games.
Rodon rallied after being credited with the Yankees’ only loss in the second round. He limited the Guardians to two singles before Brayan Rocchio’s homer in the sixth.
Steven Kwan hit a productive single off Clay Holmes to cut the lead to three runs for the Guardians in the eighth. For Kwan, it was a team-record 11th straight playoff game with a hit.
Luke Weaver entered the game with runners on first and third base. He struck out backup hitter Will Brennan, then forced Jose Ramirez to ground out. In the ninth, he allowed a walk before fanning the next three batters for his fourth save of the playoffs.
Game 2 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Before this year, teams that won the first game of a 2-3-2 series eliminated their opponents 66 times in 99 opportunities.
