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New York Yankees advance as Cleveland downed / Photo: AL BELLO - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
New York Yankees advance as Cleveland downed
Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge blasted home runs Tuesday as the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-1 to advance in Major League Baseball's playoffs.
The Yankees clinched a 3-2 division series victory over the Guardians in a game that was delayed after rain washed out the decider on Monday.
The win means the Yankees will play the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series starting Wednesday with a place in the World Series up for grabs.
The Yankees were always in the driving seat on Tuesday after jumping on starter Aaron Civale early on.
Civale's rocky start saw Gleyber Torres walk before Anthony Rizzo advanced to first base after being hit by a pitch.
Stanton then stepped up to smash a line drive to right center field for a three-run shot that left the Yankees 3-0 up.
Josh Donaldson then singled on a ground ball prompting Cleveland skipper Terry Francona to yank Civale from the mound for Sam Hentges.
Hentges got through the remainder of the inning with no more damage but then saw Judge crush a home run into right center field in the bottom of the second for a 4-0 lead.
Cleveland pulled a run back in the top of the third when Jose Ramirez's sacrifice fly scored Austin Hedges.
But Rizzo restored the Yankees' four-run cushion at the bottom of the fifth, singling to score Torres.
L.Mitchell--SMC
