CLEVELAND — Shortly after David Fry crushed a walk-off homer for the Guardians in Game 3 of the ALCS, one Yankee after another insisted the team had nothing to worry about.
“There’s no doubt we can overcome this and bounce back,” said Clay Holmes, who surrendered a late-game blowout on Thursday. “This is a tough group of guys.”
That resilience was on display Friday night, as the Yankees rallied for an 8-6, Game 4 victory at Progressive Field. With one more win, the team will return to the World Series for the first time since 2009.
“Not surprised by these guys,” Aaron Boone said of his team’s response to Game 3. “Obviously, last night was a tough loss. And whatever happens today, win, lose or draw, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be ready to play, ready to turn the page.
“I thought we played a great game. Not a perfect game, but a tough, tough, winning game.”
A number of characters have driven the Bombers’ revival, but it is Giancarlo Stanton who continues to shine the brightest light.
After seeing his dramatic, go-ahead solo homer wasted in Game 3, the designated hitter enhanced his genuine playoff credentials with a three-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 4. When Stanton stared down his 404-foot bomb from Cade Smith, he became the second Yankee to score at least four home runs in as many postseasons.
Reggie Jackson, nicknamed Mr. October due to his postseason prowess, is the only other member of the group.
“He’s done it again,” Boone thought to himself after Stanton smoked what the manager called a “letter-high heater.”
“His preparation and ability to lock in and focus was impressive,” Boone continued.
Pitch to Giancarlo Stanton at your own risk. pic.twitter.com/xJsEbTEJUu
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 19, 2024
Stanton now has 15 home runs and 33 RBI in 35 playoff games. It all came with the Yankees. He also entered Game 4 with the 10th-best OPS (1.003) and wRC+ (166) among players with at least 100 postseason plate appearances.
“I just try to get as little information as I can, any film, any changes I need,” Stanton said of his ability to thrive under pressure. “I finished it. That’s why I’m exhausted after this, and I’m enjoying it. I enjoy the busyness. I need. You’re not always going to come out and perform well, but as long as I have all the information I can, I’ll be in a good position.”
While Stanton gave the Yankees a 6-2 lead, others beat the Guardians last night.
With his team fresh off a brutal loss, Juan Soto set the tone early with a two-run homer off Gavin Williams in the opening inning. Like Stanton, Soto watched his ball fly 414 feet.
“It’s always good to get an early lead,” Soto said. “Last night is in the past. We try to forget it. We focused on today’s game, and that’s what we did as a team as a whole.”
Cleveland fell behind again in the bottom of the first when José Ramírez hit a sac bunt, but Austin Wells hit a solo shot for his first playoff home run in the second inning.
The rookie catcher, who was hitting eighth after starting 2-for-26 in his first postseason, found himself hitting eighth after being the Yankees’ go-to cleanup hitter over the summer.
While Boone decided it was time to move Wells down the order – the 25-year-old also struggled in September – the manager simultaneously predicted a breakthrough.
“I really have confidence going forward,” Boone said before the game. “He would get a good shot or a right shot, and it was, ‘Boom,’ right away.”
Wells also caught Luis Gil, who pitched in his first game since Sept. 28 after not appearing in the ALDS.
After Ramírez’ sac fly, Gil allowed a third-inning single to Josh Naylor. However, the fireball-shooting right fielder held the Guardians to two of those runs as he went four innings in his postseason debut.
“I felt really good out there tonight,” Gil said. “Exciting game. So excited to be a part of it. Very happy with the trust the team has placed in me.”
While Stanton opened the game a few innings after Gil’s departure, Cleveland rallied against Holmes for the second straight night in the seventh inning. Ramírez and Naylor each had an RBI double by the closer. That makes it a one-run game.
But Mark Leiter Jr., who was added to the roster hours earlier in place of the injured Ian Hamilton, stopped the bleeding there for the time being. First he made Jhonkensy Noel, another Guardians Game 3 hero, to fly. Then Andrés Giménez attacked.
“The thing I said to him before the game was you’re probably in the best position,” Boone said. “He was ready for it, and he did it.”
Leiter, who was also making his postseason debut, saw his luck change in the eighth when Fry gently tipped the ball toward the first base side of the mound. The reliever dropped it toward the foul line and handed it off to Anthony Rizzo, but the ball went under the first baseman’s glove, allowing Bo Naylor to score the game-tying run from third.
“I went a little overboard,” Leiter said. “I knew it was going to be one of those in-between games, and I wanted to beat it to the spot, and I kind of stepped over it, so it hit my foot. Trying to stay calm, make quick moves, but it’s just a tough game. You are very close to each other. It was just one of those plays where I was maybe a little oblivious to it.”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME YANKEES… pic.twitter.com/iuFtKGbpas
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) October 19, 2024
Fortunately for the Yankees, they channeled more resilience in the ninth, as Emmanuel Clase also let his team down for the second game in a row.
Rizzo and Anthony Volpe each singled as closer, and shortstop took second. Rizzo scored when Brayan Rocchio missed Alex Verdugo’s grounder, while Volpe crossed the plate on Gleyber Torres’ single.
After taking a big lead, the Yankees completed their own comeback when Tommy Kahnle broke out of a jam in the ninth.
“There is no safe lead,” Stanton said. “This is a great team, but it is important to keep trying. This shows that we need everyone on our team to contribute in some way, and we will need everyone. They answered the bell. It’s a wave. It was a roller coaster. But yeah, it feels good to come out on top today.”
With Game 4 behind them, the Yankees now hold a 3-1 lead in the series. With Game 5 set for Saturday night in Cleveland, the Yankees will look to Carlos Rodón to make his first start of the playoffs.
The left fielder dominated the Guardians in Game 1 of the series, holding them to one run and three hits while striking out nothing and striking out nine in six innings.
Tanner Bibee will start for Cleveland after also pitching in Game 1. He will look for more playing time after lasting just 1.1 innings that night.
The Yankees, meanwhile, will celebrate the pennant in enemy territory before enjoying some downtime before the World Series.
“It feels like nothing until we get it done,” Stanton said of the proximity to the Fall Classic. “As far as I know, we haven’t done anything. We will enjoy it now, but we have to solve it tomorrow, and so on.”
Originally Published:
Gaming Hub
A gaming hub can refer to a central platform or space dedicated to gaming, where players can access games, interact with other gamers, and enjoy related content. Here are a few different kinds of gaming hubs you might be referring to:
Physical Gaming Hubs:
Gaming Cafés: Physical locations where players can rent time on high-end gaming PCs or consoles to play popular multiplayer or single-player games.
Esports Arenas: Specialized venues for competitive gaming tournaments where players or teams face off in games like League of Legends, CS
, or Fortnite.
Digital Gaming Hubs:
Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG: Digital storefronts where you can purchase and play games, join online communities, and access updates and patches.
Game Launchers: Platforms like Steam, Blizzard’s Battle.net, and Xbox Game Pass often act as hubs where gamers can access multiple titles and keep track of their library.
Cloud Gaming Platforms: Services like NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming that allow players to stream games on various devices without needing high-end hardware.
Social/Community Gaming Hubs:
Discord Servers: Dedicated communities for games where players can chat, share tips, and find others to play with.
Reddit Communities: Subreddits dedicated to specific games or gaming news.
Gaming Consoles as Hubs:
Systems like the PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch act as central hubs for playing games, interacting with friends, and even streaming content like Netflix or Twitch.
If you meant something specific by “gaming hub,” let me know and I can elaborate further!