One of the best closers in baseball has yet to take the mound in the ALCS.
The New York Yankees are heading to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead over the Guardians in the ALCS. The Bombers haven’t truly been tested in this series, partly because they have yet to face the centerpiece of the Guardians bullpen, closer Emmanuel Clase.
Clase’s absence in this series hasn’t been caused by injury or fatigue, though. Rather, the Yankees have successfully taken away Cleveland’s chances to utilize the star closer with good hitting and better pitching.
Clase Is a Dominant Mound Presence
Since he took over as the Guardians’ main closer in 2021, Clase quickly established himself as one of the best in baseball. The flame-throwing righty is a three-time All-Star and has led the American League in saves for the past three years. This season, the 26-year-old recorded 47 saves in 50 opportunities while boasting a 0.61 ERA with 66 strikeouts.
Clase last took the mound in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, where he recorded a rare six-out save to win the game and send his team to the ALCS. It marked just the 14th six-out save in a win-or-go-home postseason game and the first since Lance McCullers Jr. threw one for the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS.
The Yankees Are Keeping Games Out of Reach
A closer typically enters in the final inning of a game to protect a narrow lead. However, the Yankees have yet to trail the Guardians through the first two games, presenting Cleveland with zero save opportunities.
Understanding the trouble that Clase could present, the Yankees have done an incredible job of attacking early in Games 1 and 2. By putting together hits and capitalizing on costly errors, the team has jumped out to a 3+ run lead within the first three innings of both games.
New York has also thwarted any Cleveland momentum by tacking on insurance runs late in the game. Giancarlo Stanton continued his postseason heroics with a solo shot in Game 1 while captain Aaron Judge broke out of his playoff slump with a two-run homer in Game 2, both of which padded the Yankee leads to four runs heading into the final innings.
The offense hasn’t necessarily been firing on all cylinders, though. In addition to the aforementioned struggles of Judge, the team has batted just .118 with RISP, left 15 men on base, and made multiple costly blunders on the base paths throughout the series.
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Luckily, the team’s elite bullpen has silenced the Cleveland offense to hold their leads steady. The group that notably gave up zero earned runs in the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals has continued to shove against the Guardians. Over 7.2 innings, they have given up just two earned runs, escaped multiple high-leverage jams, and halted any chances of a Guardians comeback.
The Yankees head to Cleveland for the next three games on the cusp of winning their first pennant since 2009. The team will look to ride the momentum they built in the Bronx to establish early leads and keep Clase out of sight and out of mind.
