The table-setter for the Yankees’ ninth-inning rally that secured Sport 4 of the ALCS was a participant in his 53rd playoff sport, the proprietor of a World Sequence ring — one thing the Yankees have not gained in 15 years — and somebody who wasn’t even on the roster within the ALDS. That may be Anthony Rizzo.
The Yankees had simply blown one other result in the Guardians and it felt like they have been on the point of falling even within the best-of-seven collection. This simply sooner or later after being one out away from a 3-0 lead. Have been they actually going to let this factor slip away?
Rizzo got here to the plate to steer off the ninth inning of Friday’s Sport 4. It was a tie sport, 6-6. The tying run had simply scored on a clumsy play that resulted in a throw going by way of Rizzo’s legs. Guardians nearer Emmanuel Clase, the perfect reliever in baseball in 2024, was on the mound. Rizzo was fed a 1-0 cutter at 98 miles per hour. He punched it the opposite method for a single to begin a two-run rally that might ultimately put the Yankees up three video games to at least one within the ALCS with an 8-6 win.
Rizzo is now 5 for 11 with two walks within the collection. He wasn’t even alleged to be right here. He fractured two fingers when hit with a pitch on Sept. 29. This subject would not be toughness; it is awfully onerous to carry a bat with two damaged fingers. He wasn’t on the ALDS roster. He returned in time for the ALCS and has been excellent on the plate for the Yankees.
“It is an actual damage,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “I feel he is managing it in addition to you probably can, and the coaching employees is doing an amazing job of holding him going and holding him ready all all through the sport, but it surely’s positively a reasonably heavy workload maintenance-wise and ensuring he can get by way of these video games. It is actual, however I feel as soon as he will get within the sport they usually get him going, I feel he is felt actually good.
“I feel his at-bats have proven that.”
Rizzo would not actually have a lot energy proper now. In 92 regular-season video games, he hit simply eight homers with a .335 slugging proportion. He solely slugged .378 in 2023. Tack the damaged fingers on prime of that and it is easy to see he is mainly a singles hitter (he does have one double, but it surely was down the right-field line and never a deep drive off the wall).
Nonetheless, he is rocking a .455 common and .538 on-base proportion this collection. That is a lot productive even with out home-run energy.
The Cleveland followers have seen loads of Rizzo within the playoffs earlier than. In 2022, he hit .294 with a .958 OPS towards them within the ALDS, a Yankees collection win. And, after all, there was the 2016 World Sequence when the Cubs gained all of it with Rizzo as a centerpiece. He hit .360/.484/.600 that collection with a number of massive extra-base hits.
Rizzo is not the identical participant he was then. He is one of many elder statesmen and one of many only a few individuals in that Yankees clubhouse to have skilled a World Sequence championship (together with Juan Soto). He is additionally now solidified first base right here within the ALCS, because it was an issue within the ALDS. He is additionally now one win away from toppling Cleveland once more within the playoffs and returning to the World Sequence eight years later.
