Bazzana's Key Double Powers Guardians to Victory Over Yankees

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 02: In a thrilling matchup at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana #37 made a significant impact in the eighth inning, hitting a three-run double that helped secure a decisive victory against the New York Yankees. The game marked the beginning of a three-game series between the two teams.

The contest was tightly contested, with both squads exchanging leads until the Guardians pulled ahead for good. Cleveland's Joey Cantillo had a brief outing, covering just 4.0 innings while throwing 91 pitches. He allowed four runs on six hits and three walks, striking out two batters before handing the ball to the bullpen, which delivered strong performances from Colin Holderman, Tim Herrin, and Hunter Gaddis, all of whom kept the Yankees scoreless.

Cleveland opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Patrick Bailey tripled, setting the stage for Brayan Rocchio's sacrifice fly. However, the Yankees quickly responded, taking the lead with a two-run homer later that inning. The Guardians regained their lead in the fourth with a double from José Ramírez followed by a home run from Kyle Manzardo, only for New York to answer back again with a two-RBI single from Paul Goldschmidt.

The back-and-forth continued as the Guardians tied the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Bazzana, and José Ramírez later drove in a run to give Cleveland the advantage once more. Brayan Rocchio sparked a rally in the seventh with a single and aggressive base running that led to another run, extending the Guardians' lead.

It was Bazzana's pivotal hit in the eighth that ultimately sealed the game. After loading the bases, he delivered a powerful double that added three more runs to the scoreboard, putting Cleveland up by five. Although the Guardians did not score again, pitchers Shawn Armstrong and Matt Festa efficiently closed out the game without allowing any Yankees to reach base. Cleveland finished with nine runs, twelve hits, and one error, with all but one player reaching base. The teams will face off again tomorrow at 7:05 PM EDT, featuring Gavin Williams on the mound against Gerrit Cole.