CLEVELAND — No current Yankees were alive the last time the Guardians swept them in Cleveland.
They made sure it stayed that way Wednesday.
Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt continued to be red-hot at the plate while Carlos Rodón turned in another dominant outing to combine for a 5-1 win over the Guardians at a sun-splashed Progressive Field.
In the process, the Yankees (15-10) avoided what would have been their first sweep of three games or more in Cleveland since 1970.
They ended a 13-day, 13-game stretch going 8-5 into Thursday’s off-day before returning to The Bronx on Friday against the Blue Jays.
Judge and Goldschmidt were two of five Yankees to reach base three times on the day, maintaining their spots atop the majors in batting average.
Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge slides into third base after hitting an RBI triple during the first inning against the Guardians on April 23, 2025.AP
Judge, a day after going 4-for-4, went 2-for-4 with a triple and a walk and is batting .415 with a 1.247 OPS.
Jasson Domínguez, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees celebrate the team’s 5-1 win over the Cleveland Guardian
Before walking in the fourth, he had recorded a hit in six straight plate appearances.
“Right now, he’s like Tony Gwynn,” Rodón said. “Next week, he’ll probably be like Hank Aaron. … This week, we saw a little bit of speed and the hit-ability of Judge. So I’m excited to see what happens on Friday. … I’m just surprised when he gets out.”
Goldschmidt, meanwhile, was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, upping his average to .383 with a .922 OPS.
Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Domínguez also reached base three times apiece to fuel an offense that was one big hit away from breaking the game open, only to strand 13.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon pitches against the Guardians on April 23, 2025.Getty Images
But Rodón made sure it did not ultimately matter by throwing seven strong innings in which he allowed just one unearned run.
The left-hander, coming off six shutout innings against the Rays last Friday, scattered just four hits and two walks while striking out eight against the Guardians (14-10).
He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.
“It builds confidence,” Rodón said. “I felt like I was right there [earlier in the season]. I just want to keep going, keep winning games and going as deep as I can. … Just trying to keep growing and become a better pitcher throughout the season.”
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates after scoring during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Fernando Cruz shut down the top of the Guardians order in the top of the eighth before Luke Weaver (with Devin Williams warming) closed it out in the ninth.
Weaver, who has not allowed a run in 13 innings this season, flirted with danger by getting three fly balls to the warning track, but they all landed in gloves, including a running, over-the-shoulder catch by Cody Bellinger to end it.
After going down quietly late in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss, the Yankees came out of the gates strong thanks to the top of their lineup.
Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI single against the Guardians on April 23, 2025.Getty Images
Rice, Judge and Goldschmidt have been their three most consistent hitters (along with Trent Grisham, who missed the series while on the paternity list), and they delivered yet again on Wednesday.
Judge came within a few feet of his eighth home run of the season, crushing a ball to the deepest part of the ballpark and settling for his first triple that scored Rice for the 1-0 lead in the first inning.
“Hitting it where they’re not, making contact,” Judge said of his red-hot April, which is much different than the quiet start he had last year before turning it on for his second AL MVP. “It’s baseball, you’re going to have that. You guys will be talking to me in June or we have a tough month, I’m going to tell you the same thing. It’s just about trying to keep everything simple. Not trying to do too much.”
After Bellinger walked, Goldschmidt also just missed a home run, instead taking an RBI double to make it 2-0.
New York Yankees’ Ben Rice runs home to score on an Aaron Judge triple.AP
In the second, after the Guardians scored their only run of the game, it was Rice and Goldschmidt delivering RBI singles for the 4-1 lead.
“More excellence,” manager Aaron Boone said of Rice, Judge and Goldschmidt. “Those three guys are playing so well, swinging the bat and just giving quality at-bat after quality at-bat. We probably had a chance to really blow this one open a lot of times today and couldn’t get that big hit to really put it away, but a lot of good at-bats to give us those opportunities.”
