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Yankees vs. Guardians: Cleveland stuns New York with HRs from Jhonkensy Noel, David Fry

The Guardians avoided a 3-0 hole with one of the greatest games in franchise history

A Cleveland Guardians fiasco on Thursday turned into one of the greatest games in franchise history, with a 7-5 victory in Game 3 of the ALCS that they now trail 2-1.

After a strong 7 2/3 innings from starting pitcher Matthew Boyd and the elite Cleveland bullpen, Emmanuel Clase entered for a four-out save in the eighth inning and blew it by allowing back-to-back homers from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It was a gut punch of a game — until the bottom of the ninth inning.

With two outs and a runner on second, Guardians rookie Jhonkensy Noel introduced himself to the world with a game-tying, pinch-hit home run, sending Progressive Field into a frenzy. He knew it the instant he made contact.

One inning later, David Fry hit his own two-run homer to give Cleveland a walk-off win and life in the ALCS. It was a game in which each team's closer blew a four-out save, and it was exactly what Cleveland needed to get back into the series.

Game 4 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET Friday (TBS), with Gavin Williams taking the mound for the Guardians against rookie Luis Gil for the Yankees.

Here's how it all went down on Yahoo Sports:

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  • FINAL: Guardians 7, Yankees 5

    A perfect end to a classic of a game. David Fry doesn't just hit Naylor in — he clubs a walk-off homer off Clay Holmes to give the Guardians a win that's going to be remembered for a while.

    Instead of facing a sweep, the Guardians will enter Game 4 on Friday with a chance to tie the series. It will be Gavin Williams vs. Luis Gil.

  • Yankees get a second out on a Steven Kwan grounder, but Naylor reaches third. David Fry will hit with the winning run 90 feet away.

  • And then Rocchio advances him with a sac bunt. The winning run is at second base with one out and the top of the Guardians order due up.

  • Bo Naylor leads off with a single ...

  • Pedro Avila throws a scoreless 10th inning, and here come the Guardians with a chance to walk it off. Clay Holmes will take over with Bo Naylor, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan due up.

  • Another angle of one of the biggest homers in Guardians history if they take this game.

  • Oh my, what a play from Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor. Jazz Chisholm Jr. appeared to sneak a grounder out of the infield, but Giménez tracked it down and somehow got it to Naylor in time. Neither player was on balance while handling the ball, but it's a much-needed second out in the 10th inning.

  • Who is Jhonkensy Noel?

    The Guardians' newest hero is a rookie who got his major-league call-up in June and played 67 games during the regular season, hitting .218/.288/.486 with 13 home runs. Exactly the kind of guy you want when you need a homer.

    He wasn't a huge international prospect when he signed with the Guardians in 2017, and he never made a top-100 prospect list, but he's a big dude with big power at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds. Hence his nickname, Big Christmas (his last name is Noel, see).

  • The inning ends one batter later with a strikeout, but we are suddenly headed to extras. This is a playoff game.

  • Guardians 5, Yankees 5

    It's Big Christmas in October. Jhonkensy comes through with the biggest homer of his career, a game-tying, no-doubt, pinch-hit, two-run homer to left field to stun the Yankees.

  • OK, now Lane Thomas hits a double to the center-field wall. It is down to pinch hitter Jhonkensy Noel.

  • Then Josh Naylor hits into a 1-6-3 double play. Guardians are suddenly down to their last out.

  • José Ramírez reaches base on an Anthony Rizzo error, and now the Guardians have the tying run at the plate with no outs. Clay Holmes is warming in case this goes south for Weaver.

  • Juan Soto strikes out to end the top of the ninth. The Guardians will need two runs against Luke Weaver, who stays in for a four-out save.

  • Yankees 5, Guardians 3

    A sacrifice fly from Gleyber Torres brings in Volpe, with Alex Verdugo going to third. Next up: Juan Soto.

  • Eli Morgan came in for Clase and is now coming out after striking out Austin Wells. Still two runners in scoring position with one out as Andrew Walters takes over.

  • Hoo boy. The Guardians appeared to have the lead runner out at third, but the rundown ends with José Ramírez losing the ball while trying to tag Anthony Volpe. Now the Yankees have runners on second and third with no outs and the chance to add some insurance.

  • Weaver strikes Fry out, and the Guardians are down to their last three outs. It will be José Ramírez, Josh Naylor and Lane Thomas in the bottom of the ninth.

  • Tommy Kahnle gets the second out but walks Steven Kwan and then gets the hook. Luke Weaver is coming in to face David Fry.

  • OK, there's a double from Will Brennan. Guardians have a tying run in scoring position with one out.

  • The inning finally ends on a sliding catch by Daniel Schneemann, but the damage is done. Cleveland needs a comeback or will face a possible sweep on Friday.

  • Call confirmed. Bad times for the Guardians, with Clase now allowing a single to Jazz Chisholm. The best reliever in baseball hasn't gotten an out in three batters.

  • Wow, now the Guardians are challenging that Stanton didn't touch first base on the homer.

  • Yankees 4, Guardians 3

    Emmanuel Clase allowed two home runs all regular season. He just allowed back-to-back homers to Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. It's his third homer allowed in the postseason.

    The Yankees are suddenly six outs away from taking a 3-0 lead in the ALCS.

  • Yankees 3, Guardians 3

    The Guardians can say they did the smart thing. They can say they brought their best guy in. They cannot say it worked out.

    After going up 0-2, Emmanuel Clase allows a game-tying home run to Aaron Judge, a frozen rope to right field. It's a new ballgame in Cleveland, with a sweep suddenly on the horizon again

  • Gaddis walks Juan Soto, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is indeed bringing in Clase to face Judge with two outs. This could be the game right here.

  • Emmanuel Clase is already warming up in the bottom of the eighth. There's a good chance he comes in if Gaddis reaches Aaron Judge in the lineup.

  • Kahnle keeps the seventh inning scoreless and now it goes to the Yankees offense, with six outs remaining.

  • Tim Mayza allows a leadoff walk to David Fry, and that will end his day. Tommy Kahnle comes on with one on and none out.

  • Herrin gets a flyout from Verdugo to end the frame. It looks like it will be Hunter Gaddis in the eighth.

  • Tim Herrin was a strike away from ending the inning after a Jon Berti double play wiped out a leadoff walk, but Anthony Volpe extends the inning with a double. Alex Verdugo will now try to bring him in.

  • Kwan grounds out to end the inning. The Yankees still need two runs over the next three innings, with Tim Herrin (Dominant Guardians Reliever No. 2) coming in for Cade Smith.

  • Rocchio pops out in foul territory for the second out of the inning. Now up: leadoff hitter Steven Kwan.

  • Tim Mayza walks Austin Hedges (career OBP: .243), and now the Guardians have two on with one out. Mayza gets a mound visit but stays in to face Brayan Rocchio.

  • Guardians 3, Yankees 1

    Lane Thomas stole third base, then Andrés Giménez snuck a groundball past a Yankees infield that was playing in. New York's task just got harder.

  • Wait, now Hamilton is leaving the game due to an injury after covering first base on the challenged play. He threw a warm-up pitch, and it went badly. If that's a multi-game injury, it would be a significant blow for the Yankees.

    Tim Mayza now pitching for New York.

  • Call overturned. It will still be a runner on second with one out for the Guardians against Ian Hamilton, with the bottom of the order coming up.

  • That's a rough play for the Yankees, with first baseman Jon Berti bobbling a double-play ball, then not getting the ball to first in time to get Daniel Schneemann.

    The Yankees are challenging the safe call, though, and it looks like they'll win.

  • Cade Smith mows down the three most dangerous hitters in the Yankees lineup. 10 pitches, 10 strikes. That's Dominant Guardians Reliever No. 1.

  • Naylor flies out to left and ends the top of the sixth. The Yankees take over with the task of scoring one run over the course of four innings.

    Making that difficult: The Guardians are the only team in MLB history with four relievers who each posted a sub-2.00 ERA in at least 60 innings. And they're all available today.

  • Clarke Schmidt allows a two-out double to José Ramírez, and that will do it for the right-hander. Aaron Boone brings in Tim Hill to face Josh Naylor.

    It was Ramírez's ninth career postseason double, tying him with Sandy Alomar for the most in franchise history.

  • Boyd got handshakes and hugs in the dugout, so that should do it for him. His final line: five innings, two hits, one run, three walks, four strikeouts.

    Pretty good for a guy who underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2022 season and joined Cleveland in June.

  • That's 10 batters put down in a row for Matthew Boyd, who is at 75 pitches through five innings. The Guardians could go to their bullpen now or let the hot hand ride.

    Important: Boyd is on his third time through the order, with Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due up next inning.

  • Rocchio grounds out on the second pitch. Still 2-1 Guardians.

  • Austin Hedges, playing in place of Bo Naylor at catcher, contributes a two-out double in the fourth. Guardians again threatening with Brayan Rocchio batting.

  • Matthew Boyd works another 1-2-3 inning for the Guardians, and he's now at 67 pitches through four innings. With the Guardians' dominant bullpen lined up, they probably need just another inning or two from him.