Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back homers off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase

CLEVELAND — The Guardians had control of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series until the New York Yankees hit back-to-back home runs off closer Emmanuel Clase in the eighth inning.

The homers turned a 3-1 Cleveland lead into a 4-3 New York advantage. The sequence put the Yankees in the driver's seat to seize a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Clase gave up the first homer to Aaron Judge, whose 356-foot, two-run shot to right field tied the score 3-3. Then Clase surrendered a 390-foot, go-head solo homer to Giancarlo Stanton.

Judge was the first batter Clase faced. He relieved Hunter Gaddis with two outs. Gaddis had walked Juan Soto, who scored on Judge's homer.

The Guardians had not allowed back-to-back homers in a playoff game since Oct. 5, 2018, when the Houston Astros did it against Corey Kluber in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Clase has allowed six earned runs this postseason after yielding just five earned runs in the 2024 regular season.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back homers off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase