Cleveland Guardians ‘hurt’ after emotional ALCS loss

CLEVELAND — The sound of backslapping filled the Guardians’ clubhouse shortly after Cleveland lost in the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees on Saturday night — teammates embracing at the end of the season, silent expressions of thanks for a year of sharing achievement.

In a corner, teammates Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges and Matthew Boyd were talking quietly, and when Steven Kwan approached the group, Boyd reached out and threw a punch. “Because we were so close,” Kwan said, “it hurts a little more.”

Manager Stephen Vogt gathered the players together shortly after the Guardians’ defeat on a tenth-inning home run by Juan Soto and told them how proud he was of them. “Obviously we’re suffering,” Vogt told reporters after the 5-2 defeat. “What a game to finish.”

The Guardians played well beyond expectations throughout the 2024 season, taking first place in the AL Central early in the year and maintaining it throughout the summer en route to a 92-69 record. After a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Guardians came back to beat Detroit in the division series, defeating presumptive Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal with a dramatic grand slam by Lane Thomas.

The series matchup with the Yankees was much more intense than the 4-1 result would suggest. In Game 3, the Guardians came back with late-game home runs from Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry to win in a shutout, and in Game 4, Cleveland rallied from a 6–2 deficit to push the Yankees before losing. And in Game 5, the Yankees needed an extra home run from Soto.

In the end, those largely responsible for the Guardians’ success this season ultimately failed in the playoffs. Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith gave up three homers in this series after giving up just three during the regular season, and Hunter Gaddis, who was spectacular during the regular season, gave up Soto’s home run. “They got us here,” said Vogt, who will likely be named coach of the year in his first season as Terry Francona’s replacement. “If it wasn’t for these guys, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. They deserve a lot of credit.”

Brayan Rocchio, shortstop for the Guardians, did not accept the premise that the loss to the Yankees was a disappointment, “because along the way we had a lot of growth”.

In the immediate misery of elimination, there seemed to be a recognition of a year of progress, for young players like Rocchio and Noel. For Tanner Bibee, who became the Guardians’ de facto ace after injuries and struggles to other starting pitchers; That could be why Bibee got emotional when talking about the year the Guardians shared. Jose Ramirez, Kwan, the members of that dominant bullpen will all be back next year. “This,” Boyd said, “was a special group.”