The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 1 of the American League Championship on Monday.
After taking an early lead, the Yankees seemed to be in complete control throughout Game 1.
Yankee pitchers combined for 14 hits in the game, and they used 4 different pitchers to complete the win.
Major League Baseball analyst Dan Plesak made an additional announcement about the Yankees’ new closer.
“Luke Weaver is the best reliever in baseball right now,” Plesak said.
“Luke Weaver is the best reliever in baseball right now.” – @Plesac19 on #MLBTonight https://t.co/LvATbbkjf3 pic.twitter.com/KJIcsxICp5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 15, 2024
Weaver entered the game in the 8th inning with 1 out and a high leverage situation for the Yankees.
Not only did Weaver get out of an 8th inning jam and finish with a save in 5, but he also struck out 4 of the 5 batters he faced.
Weaver became the first pitcher since Kenley Jansen in 2017 to record 3 saves that took more than just 1 inning.
In his first postseason, Weaver has appeared in 5 games and has a 0.00 earned run average with 9 strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
Clay Holmes started the season as the Yankees closer, but Weaver took over after Holmes began to struggle later in the season.
The Yankees will look to take a 2-0 lead into Game 2 on Tuesday night.
After Game 2, the series will shift to Cleveland for Game 3 on Thursday.
The Yankees are seeking their first World Series appearance since 2009, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in 6 games.
NEXT:
John Smoltz reveals his thoughts on postseason Bullpen Games
