Pinch-hitter Lane Thomas delivered a tiebreaking double to spark a six-run 12th inning, and the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the New York Yankees 9-5 on Tuesday night in the longest major league game this season.
“Sometimes that’s all it takes to get something going like that,” said the slumping Thomas, who drove in his first run since July 28. “We left some guys on in the game today and maybe just saved it all for one inning.”
Both teams began the night in first place, and the tense opener of their three-game series at Yankee Stadium had the feel of a potential playoff preview.
Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back homers in the first, but Cleveland came right back and the game was tied at 3 after four innings. Despite numerous chances on both sides, neither offense managed to score again until the 12th.
Thomas was hitting .113 (6 for 53) in 16 games with the Guardians when he batted for Bo Naylor leading off the 12th and lined a 2-2 sinker from left-hander Tim Mayza (0-2) into right field to score automatic runner Daniel Schneemann from second.
“I think it was huge for him,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “Obviously, it’s a huge hit for us. We left a couple of people in scoring position tonight. It was just something that we needed and for him to come though, I know that’s going to be big for him. And it catapulted that huge inning.”
Jose Ramírez, intentionally walked in the 10th, followed with an RBI single off Michael Tonkin. After a walk to Tyler Freeman, David Fry laced a bases-loaded triple that made it 8-3.
“Really cool to see,” Fry said about Thomas’ clutch swing. “I think we were all thinking he was going to do it. It’s all we need. We just need one to kind of let everybody loosen up and get the rest of the big hits.”
Guardians rookie Jhonkensy Noel added an RBI infield single when Tonkin was slow to cover first base.
Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase pitched two innings for the first time this season and retired Alex Verdugo with two on to end the 10th. Tim Herrin (5-0) was aided by Schneemann’s leaping catch in right field on Austin Wells’ drive and stranded two runners in the 11th.
Scott Barlow allowed Judge’s two-run double before finishing a game that lasted 4 hours, 5 minutes — the longest in the big leagues this year.
Cleveland drew 14 walks for the first time since Sept. 9, 1979. The Guardians stranded 20 and went 7 for 24 with runners in scoring position after getting six at-bats with runners in scoring position while getting swept in three games at Milwaukee last weekend.
“What an unbelievable game by both,” Vogt said. “Just one team had to outlast the other and fortunately it was us.”
New York used all eight of its relievers after rookie starter Luis Gil exited in the fourth because of back tightness. The Yankees issued 14 walks for the first time since allowing a team-record 15 at Milwaukee on Sept. 15, 1993.
Soto and Judge hit consecutive homers off Matthew Boyd in the first. Anthony Volpe had a tying double in the fourth, but the Yankees went 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 overall as they lost their third straight.
“It’s just been a few games now where we’ve struggled offensively,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Juan and Aaron got us off to a really good start the first inning, but we’ve got to cash in those opportunities. That’s kind of over the weekend (against Detroit) and into this game where we’ve struggled. We’ve got to pick it up.”
The Yankees dropped a half-game behind the Orioles atop the AL East. Baltimore beat the New York Mets across town at Citi Field.
Cleveland increased its AL Central lead to 3 1/2 games over Kansas City and Minnesota.
Gil allowed three runs and three hits in three-plus innings. He issued six walks and threw first-pitch strikes to just six of 19 hitters.
