Yankees take two game lead as the ALCS heads to Cleveland

The air in the Bronx feels electric tonight. After the Yankees’ 6-3 win over Cleveland, they’re up two games in the ALCS, and things are looking good. But it’s not just the victory that has the crowd buzzing; it’s Aaron Judge finding his swing when it matters most.

Judge, who’s carried this team all year with a regular season most players can only dream of, had been quiet at the plate through the first five games of the postseason. People were starting to wonder if he could shake off his struggles. But tonight, he delivered - blasting a two-run homer in the seventh inning that gave the Yankees the cushion they needed to head to Cleveland with some real momentum.

That shot off Hunter Gaddis wasn’t just a homer. It felt like a shift. After going 2-for-15 with only one RBI in the first five playoff games, Judge finally connected, reminding everyone why he’s the presumptive MVP. His regular season was something else - 58 homers, 144 RBIs, a .322 average - but the postseason is a different animal. And tonight, Judge proved he’s ready to be the captain they need.

The Yankees are now in a strong position, and history is on their side. In postseason series like this, teams that take a 2-0 lead win 84 percent of the time. The odds are favorable, but there’s no room for letting up. Cleveland is scrappy, and they won’t go down easy.

Tonight’s game was far from perfect, though. Both teams had their moments of sloppiness, none more so than when Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Rizzo got picked off at second base in the same inning. You could feel the frustration in the crowd during that sixth inning. But baseball is a funny game, and sometimes mistakes don’t hurt as much as they could. Cleveland had its own missteps too - Brayan Rocchio dropping Judge’s pop-up in the first inning, handing the Yankees their first run on a silver platter.

Gerrit Cole wasn’t at his sharpest either, a far cry from his dominant Game 4 performance against Kansas City. He got into some trouble in the fourth with the bases loaded and looked like he was running out of gas by the fifth, when Cleveland managed to push a couple of runs across. But Cole, as he often does, managed to grit his way through it.

What really saved the night, though, was the Yankees' bullpen. Clay Holmes came in and slammed the door with two big outs in the fifth, then Tim Hill followed with five outs of clean, no-nonsense relief. These guys have been nails all postseason, stepping up when needed most. Holmes, Hill, and the rest of that bullpen are a big reason why this team is in the driver’s seat.

And then there’s Rizzo. You can’t talk about this game without mentioning him. Playing with two fractured fingers, Rizzo roped a clutch RBI double in the sixth to break the tie. It’s moments like that - gritty, determined - that can turn the tide in a series. He’s been battling injuries, but it hasn’t stopped him from coming through when the Yankees need him.

Now, with a 2-0 lead, the series heads to Cleveland. The Yankees know better than to get comfortable, but with Judge finding his form and the bullpen locking things down, their path forward looks a little clearer tonight.

Cleveland will be tough, but the Yankees are feeling like a team that’s ready for whatever comes next.