The New York Yankees advanced to their 11th ALCS since 2000 with a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in Thursday's Game 4, and the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided elimination and forced a Game 5 with a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers.
The Yankees will now go home and get some rest, as the ALCS doesn't start until Monday. The Guardians and Tigers, meanwhile, return to Cleveland for Game 5 on Saturday.
Yankees 3, Royals 1
The Yankees defeated the Royals 3-1 in Thursday's Game 4, the final score mirroring their ALDS final status as New York advanced to the American League Championship Series.
The Yankees got on the board after just three pitches, thanks to a Gleyber Torres leadoff single and a Juan Soto RBI double. Gerrit Cole took it from there, pitching a perfect seven innings with six hits and one allowed, no walks and four strikeouts. The offense was held to one run in the fifth and sixth innings, with Giancarlo Stanton and Torres finishing with two hits and an RBI each. Luke Weaver pitched a clean ninth inning.
The Royals, meanwhile, couldn't muster much offense beyond their sixth-inning strikeout, when Bobby Witt Jr. singled to right field and Vinny Pasquantino followed with an RBI double. They went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, leaving four men on base. Kansas City starter Michael Wacha allowed six hits and two earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
The Yankees will have to wait until Saturday night to find out if they will face the Guardians or the Tigers in the ALCS on Monday.
Guardian 5, Tiger 4
The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers will play a decisive Game 5 in their ALDS on Saturday.
David Frye's two-run, pinch-hit home run to Beau Brieske gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning of Game 4 on Thursday. Frye drove in another run in the ninth on a safety squeeze bunt by Brian Rochio.
Closer Emmanuel Claes got a chance to redeem himself for a three-run homer in Game 2 when Guardians manager Stephen Vogt brought him in with one out and two runners on in the eighth inning.
Claes retired the first two batters he faced. In the ninth, Justin-Henry gave up a run on a leadoff double by Malloy and an RBI grounder by Jess Jung. Claes then struck out Matt Vierling to force a 5-4 win and Game 5.
Tigers Tarik Skubal is expected to start in Game 5, with Matthew Boyd likely to go for the Guardians.
Thursday's ALDS Game 4 schedule:
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The Yankees are going to the ALCS!
The Yankees beat the Royals 3-1, winning their ALDS 3-1.
Luke Weaver comes in to close it in 9
He gets Pasquantino, Perez and Gurriel to finish it off. The Yankees won.
Clay Holmes came on in the 8th inning for the Yankees
The Royals *almost* tied it at 7
Instead, Gerrit Cole went seven with six hits and one run allowed, no walks and four strikeouts.
Royals 6th on the board!
Bobby Witt Jr. lined a single to right field, setting the stage for Vinnie Pasquantino's double to put the Royals ahead. It's Yankees 3, Royals 1 in the bottom of the sixth.
The benches cleared in Kansas City
The benches and bullpens have been cleared in Kansas City. The Yankees and Royals are chirping at each other after New York turned a 3-6 doubleheader, and Michael Garcia had words with some players.
No punches were thrown. The crowd has dispersed. The Yankees still lead, 3-0.
Gerrit Cole allowed two hits and no walks and struck out four of the five Royals. He's only on 61 pitches.
The Yankees knocked out Michael Wacha in the 5th inning
Singles from Anthony Volpe, John Barty and then Gleyber Torres forced manager Matt Quatraro to make a change, swapping Wacha for Lukas Erceg. Reliever Juan Soto had to throw just two pitches to end the inning with a flyout.
Parents forcing game 5!
With a 5-4 victory, the series will return to Cleveland for a decisive Game 5 on Saturday.
CLE-DET: Guardians lead 5-3 in safety squeeze
Cleveland added another run on David Frye's safety squeeze bunt.
The Guardians now lead 5-3 with one out and two runners on in the top of the ninth.
CLE-DET: Guardians threaten to add to 4-3 lead
Two consecutive one-out singles by Brian Rocchio and Steven Kwan (3-for-5) put Cleveland runners on first and second with one out in the top of the ninth.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch replaces Jackson Jobe with Will West.
NYY-KC: Yankees still leading 3rd
The Royals (especially Tommy Pham) got in the hit column in the bottom of the second but had nothing to show for it, as they went 1-2-3 the rest of the inning.
In the top of the third, Michael Wacha drove in Aaron Judge but then got a double play and a pop-out to Bobby Witt Jr.
CLE-DET: Emmanuel in class 8
Guardians closer Emmanuel Claes will get a chance to redeem himself after giving up a 3-run homer to Kerry Carpenter in Game 2. But he needs five outs to end Game 4.
The Tigers have runners on first and second with one out.
CLE-DET: Colt Keith saves a run
Cleveland added another run to its 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. Will Brennan was on second base after a two-out double and probably would have scored on Andres Gimenez's grounder for a hit.
But Colt kept the ball in the infield on Keith's diving stop and struck out Gimenez at first to end the inning.
Tigers are coming up on the eighth floor.
NYY-KC: Yankees, 1, Royals 0 after 2 innings
Giancarlo Stanton led off the second with a double, but after that, the Yankees went downhill. In the bottom half, Gerrit Cole was efficient, sending the Royals down in order.
CLE-DET: David Fry hits a 2-run homer for a 4-3 Guardians lead
Pinch-hitter David Fry hit a two-run homer off Beau Brieske for a 4-3 Guardians lead.
Tigers left-hander Sean Guenther got two outs in the first of the seventh inning, but Steven Kwan got a single.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch brought in the right-hander Briesk to face Frye, and a wild pitch advanced Kwan to second. Briesk then grooved a 97.5 mph fastball down the middle of the strike zone and Frye didn't miss.
NYY-KC: Yankees in driver's seat after 1st inning
Gerrit Cole struck out two Royals hitters in a 1-2-3 first inning. On the second hand…
CLE-DET: New postseason attendance record at Comerica Park
A night after setting a Comerica Park postseason record for attendance, the Tigers set a new mark.
How many parent fans drove from Cleveland to help that figure?
NYY-KC: Yankees lead 1-0 in first
Just three pitches into the game, the Yankees struck first after a Gleyber Torres double and Juan Soto RBI single.
