Game 2 of the American League Championship Series between the Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night was ugly at times and unconventional.
No moment in the game best encompasses “unconventional” than when Guardians manager Stephen Vogt intentionally walked Juan Soto to pitch to Aaron Judge with the bases loaded.
With the Yankees already up 2-0 in the second inning, New York was threatening for more. With Anthony Rizzo on third and Alex Verdugo on second with one out, Vogt made the move that left fans and viewers dumbfounded.
Judge had been struggling at the plate entering Tuesday’s game. The presumptive 2024 AL MVP was just 2-for-15 with one RBI and six strikeouts before Game 2 and was already 0-for-1 — reaching on an error — heading into that at-bat with the bases loaded. But even so, 58 home runs and 144 RBI are hard to ignore but it was a choice that didn’t surprise the Yankees.
“I can’t say I was totally shocked there,” manager Aaron Boone said before pausing. “You have to pick your poison sometimes. They were up against it a little bit in that situation going to [Cade] Smith that early, down three, you need something to go really well to keep yourself in the game and sometimes you have to take a shot that’s a bit unconventional.”
Vogt took out starter Tanner Bibee and went to Smith, one of his best relievers to get out of the inning. What transpired was Judge hit a sac fly to extend the Yankees lead to 3-0 before Austin Wells struck out to limit the damage and keep Cleveland in the game.
“They were hitting the ball around the ballpark and we needed to stop the game,” Vogt said of the decision after the game. “In that situation, you want to get the double play ball, find a way to get out of that inning and Cade did a great job of doing that.”
“You’re picking your poison there. It’s the playoffs. It’s a big, big spot,” Rizzo said when asked for his reaction on pitching to Judge. “I’m personally not probably doing that but you set up the double play. Stephen Vogt I’ve respected him so much as a player and what he’s done as a manager is amazing in his first year. It takes a lot of courage to do that move and ultimately we got the sac fly.”
Tuesday was the third time in Judge’s career that the batter in front of him was intentionally walked. The second time happened earlier this year against the White Sox. That time, Judge made Chicago pay by homering off of Chad Kuhl.
“It happened earlier in the year. Not really a surprise,” Judge said of the decision. “[Soto’s] been swinging the bat well recently and trying to get a double play there, trying to get them out of the inning. I’d walk him too at this point.”
Soto entered Game 2 going 6-for-17 with a home run and three RBI. He also had a single in his first at-bat Tuesday so Soto was the more dangerous hitter.
Even so, Judge was able to scratch out the run in that second inning but provided a much larger boost when he hit his first home run of the 2024 postseason in the seventh, extending the Yankees lead in an eventual 6-3 win.
The Yankees hope the homer sparks Judge’s bat as the series shifts to Cleveland as New York — with a 2-0 series lead — looks to end the series before having to return to the Bronx.
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