CLEVELAND — The Yankees had already wrapped up a fifth straight series victory by the time they showed up to Progressive Field on Sunday.
But battling back to tie the series finale in the top of the ninth and take a two-run lead in the 10th only made it sting more when they got walked off on in the bottom of the inning.
With a chance to sweep in dramatic fashion, the Yankees were let down by some shaky infield defense as they fell to the Guardians 8-7 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon.
Ex-Met Andres Gimenez delivered the final blow, hitting a one-out sacrifice fly off Caleb Ferguson to win it for the Guardians (10-5) and leave the Yankees (12-4) ruing a few key defensive misplays earlier in the inning.
“Tough one,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Again though, the compete is so good with this group. We just didn’t make a few plays we needed to make. Certainly when you grind through and get a lead there, it’s always tough [to lose], but onward and got a big series starting [Monday against the Blue Jays].”
After Anthony Rizzo’s two-run single in the top of the 10th gave the Yankees a 7-5 lead, the Guardians quickly got one run back on a single by Jose Ramirez off Ferguson.
Josh Naylor came up next and hit a potential double-play ball to Gleyber Torres, who made a sliding stop and threw to second for the first out.
But a bobble on the transfer by Anthony Volpe wiped out a chance to get Naylor at first.
“We’re out there working all the time to make those type of plays,” said Volpe, who had tied the game in the ninth with a two-out RBI double off Emmanuel Clase. “Definitely taking it on the chin right now.”
David Fry then nearly ended it on a deep fly ball to left-center field, but it hit off the top of the wall to put runners on second and third for Will Brennan.
With the infield in, Brennan hit a ground ball to Torres that he could not field cleanly, and he also whiffed on the first attempt to pick it up at his feet.
By the time he finally got the ball and threw home, Naylor beat the tag to tie the game.
“I just tried to grab the ball and tried to stop [the runner],” Torres said. “The idea is to take that play at home plate. I missed for a couple seconds and when I threw the ball, it was too late.”
The loss dropped the Yankees to 6-1 in one-run games this season and wasted Volpe’s heroics in the top of the ninth.
After ex-Yankee Estevan Florial ripped a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth off Luke Weaver, Volpe tied it back up in the ninth.
With the Yankees down to their last out, Volpe got a 100 mph cutter from Clase and drilled it to the gap in right-center field to score Oswaldo Cabrera from first base and tie the game at five.
It marked Volpe’s third hit of the game (plus a walk) as he continued his red-hot start to the season.
Earlier in the game, the Yankees got a three-run, 450-foot homer from Aaron Judge and Jose Trevino’s first home run of the year, both off Guardians left-hander Logan Allen, to stake out a 4-2 lead after four innings.
But Nestor Cortes, coming off throwing eight shutout innings against the Marlins his last time out, was not nearly as sharp on Sunday.
He only lasted four-plus innings, giving up four runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out six.
Most of the damage against Cortes came on two swings: a two-run homer from Ramirez in the third inning and a solo shot from No. 9 hitter Gabriel Arias in the fifth.
Nick Burdi relieved Cortes and allowed one inherited runner to score to tie the game, but escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts on 98 and 99 mph heaters.
Ultimately, though, the Guardians got the last laugh, sending the Yankees out of town in crushing fashion.
“It’s always a tough one,” Judge said. “Any one you lose is a tough one, but guys were fighting till the end. They came up with some big at-bats, we came up with some big at-bats. I feel like all series, guys were just competing up there and doing their thing. We just weren’t able to pull this one out at the end.”
