Sports
The ALCS isn’t over. But the Guardians tried everything to even it up — and still came up short
NEW YORK — If it feels like this American League Championship Series might already be over, well, that’s unfair to both the Cleveland Guardians and to history. But the Guardians and their manager, Stephen Vogt, approached the second game on Tuesday with the urgency and aggressiveness worthy of the stage — and still looked unfit to share it with the New York Yankees, who took a 6-3 victory and a two-games-to-none series lead.
Make no mistake: the Guardians deserve to be here. They won 92 games this season, just two fewer than the Yankees and part of a vastly underappreciated stretch of success. Did you know that in the last dozen seasons, only the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers have more victories than Cleveland? And those teams, you may have heard, spend a bit more money.
But if the Guardians can’t win a game like this, they must be asking themselves, deep down, when they will ever break through.
Consider:
— They got on base in nine of their last 15 plate appearances against the Yankees’ ace, Gerrit Cole. The barrage of singles and walks chased Cole in the fifth inning, but produced just two runs.
— The Yankees stumbled into two outs on the bases in the sixth — “That’s what they do,” John Sterling noted on radio, “run the bases like drunks!” — yet still scored a run on a bobble by Guardians right fielder Will Brennan. It was the second Cleveland error, after shortstop Brayan Rocchio fumbled a pop up to score a run in the first.
— The Guardians used their best starter, Tanner Bibee, and all of their best relievers had two days of rest. But the Yankees managed six runs while rapping 11 hits, five for extra bases, and Cleveland still hasn’t found a lead for its star closer, Emmanuel Clase, to protect.
— José Ramírez, the Guardians’ centerpiece third baseman, lashed a homer to pierce the Yankees’ suddenly untouchable closer, Luke Weaver. But it was poor timing for Ramírez’s first hit of the series; he’d previously left five runners on base.
José Ramírez blasts a solo shot in the 9th #ALCS pic.twitter.com/PHtk76QPUT
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2024
“We didn’t play Cleveland baseball today,” left fielder Steven Kwan said. “We had a couple of errors. We obviously pride ourselves on our defense. So if we want to win some games, we’re gonna have to play Guard Ball.”
By that, Kwan said, he meant “fundamental baseball: make the plays that we’re supposed to, hit with runners in scoring position, get the guy over. Just fundamental stuff to be able to play the game.”
It’s lazy to say that the moment looked too big for the Guardians, who have baseball’s youngest roster for the fourth year in a row, according to general manager Mike Chernoff. This is a team that lost its ace, Shane Bieber, to injury after two starts; lost its division lead in August and rallied to finish 17-10; and lost two of its first three playoff games to Detroit but recovered with two stirring comebacks.
“I feel like all year we’ve kind of really done this,” Bibee said. “I feel like at the beginning of the year, in a lot of people’s eyes, we weren’t supposed to be here. But we’ve always known that we were supposed to be here. And we still think that. So that doesn’t change just because we’re down two games. There’s a reason it’s a seven-game series.”
It is, but credit Vogt — a rookie manager — for approaching Tuesday with a must-win mentality. He went to his limited bench in the second inning of Game 3 in Detroit, and it didn’t work then. But that didn’t stop Vogt from gambling again this time, using David Fry to hit for Bo Naylor with the bases loaded in the fourth.
Fry popped out on the first pitch, and because an elbow injury keeps Fry from catching, Austin Hedges had to replace Naylor. Naturally, when the Guardians loaded the bases again in the fifth, it was Hedges — a defensive stalwart but historically poor hitter — who struck out to end the inning.
“It was the highest leverage moment of the game, bases loaded, one out,” Vogt said, explaining the decision to use Fry in the fourth. “We want to take a shot with David. Gerrit Cole, really good pitcher, made a good pitch on David and got the pop up. Austin’s been a big part of our team. We wanted to take our shot right there. We felt that was our biggest opportunity at that point. You don’t know when you’re going to get three guys on against somebody like Gerrit Cole.
“It’s who we are. We take chances when we do. It’s just unfortunate we were not able to come through with a big hit.”
That’s postseason baseball: be who you are, but bolder. It’s the same reason that Vogt intentionally walked Juan Soto to load the bases for Aaron Judge with one out in the second inning — then took out Bibee after 11 batters, the fewest he’s ever faced in his 59 career starts.
The Guardians have the majors’ best bullpen — and you cannot lose without deploying your greatest strength. So Cade Smith took over for Bibee, held Judge to a sacrifice fly and retired all five hitters he faced.
“We haven’t gone to the ‘pen as early as we did tonight, but the stakes being higher, basically at that point we’re trying to stop the game and stop their momentum,” pitching coach Carl Willis said. “You can’t let the game get away from you. You just can’t. Because if you do, there’s no need for Cade later. And while you may flip the script and all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Oh hell, we used Cade in the fourth’ — but still, we have trust in the other guys, and you have to get to that point. You can’t just bank on getting there.”
Vogt’s predecessor in Cleveland, Terry Francona, has a philosophy about managerial moves: “If I can’t explain this,” he has said, “it’s wrong.” In other words, if a manager has an option that gives the team a better chance to win, there’s really no choice. Take it.
The Fry move backfired. The Soto and Smith moves basically worked. In any case, the Guardians won’t win this series by being passive. Vogt understands that.
And as bleak as things seem for Cleveland, it’s looked this hopeless for other teams, too. Just last October, the Philadelphia Phillies easily won the first two games of the NLCS at home against the sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks. But when the series shifted to Arizona, the Diamondbacks adjusted their pitching strategy, quickly evened the series and won it in seven.
Willis, a reliever for the 1991 Minnesota Twins, has been there, too. In that year’s classic World Series, the Twins took the first two at home but then lost all three in Atlanta before recovering to take the crown.
“We’re going home, and we have one of the best records in the major leagues at home,” Willis said. “It can turn on a dime, and they know that, too.”
It can — and for the Guardians, it must.
(Top photo of Tanner Bibee exiting Game 2 of the ALCS: Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University on Tuesday night as a wild buzzer-beater was waved off well after the Tigers had celebrated on their own court.
With 0.6 seconds remaining and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game-winner.
However, officials went to the scorer’s table to review the play, which was awfully close.
Auburn Tigers players watch the replay of a possible game-winning shot that was called back as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Ultimately, officials ruled that the shot had not gone off in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one from Texas A&M.
The officials quickly made themselves public enemy number one and were showered with debris from fans on their way off the court. At least one referee needed his head to be covered.
One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at an official.
“They didn’t say a word. They just said it was no good and ran off the floor. I probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in that moment, anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who took over for his dad, Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I get why they’d run away from me. Just from the angles that I saw, it looked like it was off his fingers. But that was just, I don’t have all the same angles they have.”
Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It is now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, who won the national championship over Houston.
Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.
KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled that his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on Jan. 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Texas A&M answered with a steady run fueled by outside shooting, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs buried a 3-pointer. The Aggies followed with back-to-back triples from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not relinquish, by the skin of their teeth.
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Two-time All-American wide receiver and prominent Outdoors Channel host Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an accident on his ranch in Texas, his family said in a statement.
Shipley, 40, was described as stable after remaining hospitalized Tuesday night in Austin. The statement said a machine that he was operating near his hometown of Burnet caught fire. The former Texas great suffered “severe burns on his body.”
Shipley abruptly retired in 2012 after three NFL seasons primarily because of persistent concussion issues and chronic knee problems. He quickly transitioned to television shows that showcased his passion for deer hunting, co-hosting “The Bucks of Tecomate” and “Tecomate Whitetail Nation.”
“It was not hard at all,” Shipley said at the time of retiring at 27. “Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”
Although he enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns, he is best remembered as a record-setting player at Texas.
Shipley starred as a receiver and a kick returner from 2006 to 2009, setting program single-season records in 2009 with 116 receptions and 1,489 yards. He also remains the career leader for receptions with 248 and ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,191, behind Roy Williams. Shipley also returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns.
After being drafted in the third round by the Bengals, he became one of the most popular players with Cincinnati fans, and his No. 11 jersey was worn by thousands. After a debilitating knee injury early in the 2011 season, he was never the same player, and he had short stints with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before retiring.
According to his family, Jordan was operating a machine at his ranch when it caught fire. He managed to free himself from the machine, but “not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Jordan was airlifted to the hospital in Austin.
“He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch, who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said.
Shipley’s younger brother, former Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, 33, asked for prayers in a statement on Instagram: “Please pray for full healing and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery. I don’t want to get into all the details, other than his life was spared today by the grace of God and the sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”
Sports
Tom Izzo explodes on former Michigan State player in wild scene: ‘What the f— are you doing?’
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has been known to get visibly angry with his players over his years in East Lansing, but what happened Monday night against USC was different.
Izzo let loose his frustration on a former player.
During the Spartans’ blowout over the Trojans, 80-51, Izzo was spotted unloading on former Michigan State center Paul Davis, who played for the team from 2002-06, after he caused a disturbance in the stands.
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Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Referees pointed out Davis, who was a spectator, from his courtside seat after he was among many in the building who disagreed with a call in the second half. Davis stood up and shouted at referee Jeffrey Anderson.
Anderson responded with a loud whistle, stopping play and pointing at Davis. Then, Anderson went over to Izzo to explain what happened, and the 70-year-old coach went ballistic.
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First, he was motioning toward Davis, and it was clear he asked his former center, “What the f— are you doing?”
Davis was met by someone asking him to leave his seat, and that’s when Izzo went nuts. He shouted “Get out of here!” at Davis, who appeared to gesture toward Izzo, perhaps in apology for disturbing the game.
Izzo was asked about Davis’ ejection after the game.
“What he said, he should never say anywhere in the world,” Izzo responded when asked what happened. “That ticked me off. So, just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, coach. I’m sorry.’”
Izzo quickly clarified that what Davis said “wasn’t something racial” and “it wasn’t something sexual.”
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo protests a call that benefited the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)
“It was just the wrong thing to say, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Davis later met with reporters Tuesday, apologizing for his actions.
“I’m not up here to make any excuses. I’m up here to take accountability, to own it,” Davis said. It was a mistake that will never happen again. It was a mistake that’s not me, but, unfortunately, last night it was.”
Izzo said Davis was one of his “favorite guys” during his time playing for the Spartans. He had a breakout sophomore campaign with 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists per game in 30 starts for Izzo during the 2003-04 season.
Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
In his senior year, Davis averaged 17.5 points, a career-high, in 33 games.
He was taken in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis played just four seasons in the league, his final one with the Washington Wizards.
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