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MLB | AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
CLEVELAND -- Rookie pinch-hitter Jhonkensy Noel hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning, and David Fry connected for a two-run shot in the 10th, rallying the Cleveland Guardians past the New York Yankees 7-5 Thursday night and cutting the deficit in the AL Championship Series to 2-1.
Cleveland's unexpected season that included 92 wins and the AL Central title was on the brink after Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer off Emmanuel Clase, and Giancarlo Stanton followed with a solo drive off the All-Star closer in the eighth inning to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
Noel, a burly outfielder known as Big Christmas, delivered an October gift, and Fry followed with his second momentous homer in these playoffs.
"That's exactly who we are," first-year Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "We never quit. We get punched in the teeth pretty hard there in the eighth, and our guys stepped up huge for the guy that carried us all year long. That was really fun to see."
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The Guardians trailed 5-3, had no runners on base in the ninth, and were moments from falling into a 3-0 deficit when Lane Thomas doubled against Luke Weaver, who had been perfect in eight save chances since taking over as the Yankees closer in September. Noel then delivered his towering homer.
As he rounded the bases, Progressive Field fans danced on their seats and in the aisles in a moment reminiscent of Rajai Davis' tying Game 7 home run off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of 2016 World Series.
It was fitting that Davis, who now works for MLB, was on hand to see Noel's homer that now belongs beside his in Cleveland history.
"We're a team that don't quit," Noel said through an interpreter. "We play 27 outs, so that's kind of what happened today."
Fry's swing ended an instant fall classic.
Bo Naylor singled leading off the 10th against Clay Holmes, and Brayan Rocchio sacrificed. Naylor took third on Steven Kwan's comebacker before Fry, who hit a Division Series-saving homer in Game 4 at the Detroit Tigers, sent a 1-2 sinker into the left field bleachers.
Fry watched the ball sail into the stands before heading toward first. He was mobbed by teammates in the infield as fans tossed drinks in the air while trying to process the emotional rollercoaster they had endured.
Cleveland can tie the series with a win on Friday. The Guardians still have a chance to end baseball's longest current World Series drought, stretching all the way back to 1948.
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