Joey Cantillo's wild outing overshadows Yankees' ALCS Game 1 win

Rookie reliever Joey Cantillo made unfortunate Major League Baseball history Monday night in the Guardians' 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS. A whirlwind of wild pitches and walks significantly impacted the outcome of the game.

Cantillo's entrance was already fraught with pressure, entering the game in the third inning with the bases loaded and two outs, but it didn't take long to unravel. On a 2-0 count to Anthony Rizzo, Cantillo delivered a wild pitch that allowed Aaron Judge to reach home , giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. The situation only escalated from there. After he walked Rizzo on four pitches, Cantillo faced Alex Verdugo. Despite getting ahead in the count 1-2, Cantillo threw a second wild pitch, allowing Giancarlo Stanton to cross home and extending the Yankees' lead to 3-0.

The struggles continued in the fourth inning. Cantillo issued a five-pitch walk to Gleyber Torres. Then in a repeat of his earlier missteps, he threw two more wild pitches in the next at-bat, advancing Torres to third. This set the stage for Judge to deliver a sacrifice fly to center field , bringing Torres home and pushing the Yankees' lead to 4-0.

In just 0.1 innings pitched, Cantillo's performance was historically unprecedented. He walked three batters and threw four wild pitches, making him the only player in MLB history to achieve such an unfortunate feat in less than an inning, per OptaSTATS. The Guardians' bullpen, which had been the cornerstone of their success , was forced into action earlier than anticipated, as Cantillo's command issues left them in a difficult position.

With the series in the early stages, the Guardians will aim to get their bullpen back in sorts against a strong Yankees lineup.