Yankees beat Guardians in Game 5, advance to ALCS against Astros

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The New York Yankees got ahead early on the Cleveland Guardians and never gave up their lead as they won Game 5, 5-1, to stay alive in the postseason on Tuesday night. 

The Yankees now move on to face the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS on Wednesday night at 7:07 p.m. ET.

It was a dream scenario for the Yankees to start this game, with Nestor Cortes going 1-2-3 in the first inning followed by a three-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton that effectively knocked Guardians starter Aaron Civale out of the game after making just a single out. 

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Anthony Rizzo #48 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a RBI single against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning in game five of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 18, 2022 in New York, New York.  (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Civale was ushered into his dugout by manager Terry Francona after a Josh Donaldson infield single, and the bullpen chess match began a lot earlier than expected for one team. 

Aaron Judge, who entered the game 2-for-16 in the series, tacked on one more run in the bottom of the second inning when he took Sam Hentges’s hanging curveball over the right field wall to get the Yankee Stadium crowd going crazy again. 

The extra day of rest allowed Cortes to start this game, and it was the right call by manager Aaron Boone to hand him the ball after what he put together. He allowed three total hits and one earned run over five innings of work, throwing just 61 pitches with two strikeouts and one walk. 

The only trouble he found himself in was another baserunner on a bloop hit to left field that