Carlos Rodon, Yankees look to close out Guardians in Game 5

CLEVELAND -- It has been so long since the New York Yankees played in the World Series that Giancarlo Stanton was a 19-year-old Florida Marlins minor leaguer the last time it happened.

With four home runs this postseason alone, Stanton has powered the Yankees to a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians. Game 5 is set for Saturday at Cleveland.

Stanton's latest playoff home run, his third of the ALCS, was a three-run blast that helped New York to an 8-6 victory in Game 4. With one more victory, New York is headed to its first World Series since 2009.

"I just try to get any bit of information I can, any bit of film, all the swings I need. I exhaust it and that's why I'm exhausted after these," said Stanton, who hit six home runs in the 2020 postseason. "You're not always going to go out there and perform well, but as long as I have all the information I can, I'll be in a good spot."

It was Stanton who appeared to give the Yankees a victory in Game 3 on Thursday with a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. But the Guardians tied it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a home run from Jhonkensy Noel and a game-ending drive from David Fry in the 10th.

Unfazed, the Yankees took a 2-0 lead six pitches into Game 4 on a home run from Juan Soto and never trailed, although the Guardians did rally again. Stanton hit his three-run home run for a 6-2 New York lead but the Guardians came back to tie the game in the eighth inning before they were put on the brink of elimination by two Yankees runs in the ninth.

New York is set to send left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-1, 4.66 ERA) to the mound Saturday. He was 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 32 regular-season starts but did not face Cleveland until Game 1 of the ALCS, when he gave up one run over six innings and earned the win.

"I think I'll go home and do a little bit of just rewatching of Game 1 and see how I sequenced," Rodon said. "As far as what I'm going to use (in Game 5), I'm not really going to be able to tell you that, but I know I'm going to go out there and compete similar to how I did."

The Guardians' Game 5 starter will be right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-1, 3.60), who went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 31 regular-season starts. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings in Game 1 of the ALCS and took the loss when he gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits.

The Guardians will need all they can get from Bibee after their bullpen has been taxed over the past two games, while closer Emmanuel Clase has struggled. Clase gave up two runs while recording one out in Game 3 and gave up two more runs in Game 4 while taking the loss.

"Everybody is tired," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said when asked about his bullpen. "I think we've used them a lot. We've had to. It's who we are."

After their big home runs in Game 3, the Guardians tied Game 4, first by pulling to within a run in the seventh inning on an RBI double from Jose Ramirez, followed by a two-run double from Josh Naylor. In the eighth, Cleveland caught a break by scoring the tying run on David Fry's comebacker.

This time, though, the Guardians could not complete the rally and could see their season end with a loss on Saturday.

"We're going to show up ready to win," Vogt said. "That's who these guys are."

--Field Level Media