Cleveland Guardians ‘hurt’ after emotional ALCS loss

CLEVELAND — The sound of slaps filled the Guardians’ clubhouse just after Cleveland lost the American League Championship Series to the Yankees on Saturday night: teammates sharing end-of-season hugs, hushed expressions of gratitude for a year of shared successes.

In one corner, teammate Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges and Matthew Boyd talked quietly, and when Steven Kwan approached the group, Boyd reached over and offered a punch. “Because we were so close,” Kwan said, “it makes it sting a little bit more.”

Manager Stephen Vogt gathered the players right after the Guardians lost on a home run by Juan Soto in the 10th inning and told them how proud he was of them. “Obviously, we’re hurting,” Vogt told reporters after the 5-2 loss. “What a game to end.”

The Guardians played far beyond expectations during the 2024 season, grabbing first place early in the year and holding it throughout the summer en route to a 92-69 record. After earning a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Guardians came back to beat Detroit in the Division Series, beating presumptive Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on a spectacular grand slam homer by Lane Thomas.

The series with the Yankees in a series was much more intense than the result of 4 games to 1 would suggest. In Game 3, the Guardians had come back with home runs in the bottom of the inning by Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry to win in one start, and in Game 4, Cleveland had rallied from a 6-2 deficit to push the Yankees before losing. And in Game 5, the Yankees needed an extra-inning home run from Juan Soto.

In the end, though, the relievers, largely responsible for the Guardians’ success this season, ultimately fell short in the playoffs. Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith allowed three homers in that series, after allowing just three all regular season, and Hunter Gaddis, who was spectacular during the regular season, allowed Soto’s homer. “They got us this far,” said Vogt, who will likely receive heavy Coach of the Year consideration in his first season as Terry Francona’s backup. “If it wasn’t for those guys, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. They deserve a ton of credit.”

Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio wouldn’t accept the premise that the loss to the Yankees was a disappointment, “because we experienced a lot of growth along the way.”

In the immediate misery of elimination, there seemed to be an acknowledgment 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 of other starting pitchers; maybe that’s why Bibee got emotional as he talked about the year the Guardians shared. Jose Ramirez, Kwan, members of this dominant bullpen will be back next year. “This,” Boyd said, “was a special group.”