Emmanuel Clase is the best closer in baseball, but on Thursday night, he looked like anything but.
The Cleveland Guardians reliever allowed just two home runs in the entire regular season, pitching to a miniscule 0.61 ERA.
But in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, he allowed two home runs in a five-pitch span.
Clase came on for a four-out save but allowed the game-tying and go-ahead solo home runs to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
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Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after a home run during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field Oct. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Thankfully for Clase, as quickly as the Guardians blew their lead, they came right back and won in miraculous fashion to avoid a 3-0 hole.
And you better believe Clase isn’t going to let one rough night define him.
After the game, Clase took to Instagram to show off all his accolades. He took a video of his All-Star rings, his American League Reliever of the Year Award from last year and his 2023 All-MLB plaque.
“Hablamos manana. Good Night,” Clase wrote in the video, the Spanish portion of which translates to “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) reacts after a two-run home run by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) during the eighth inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
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So, it goes without saying that Clase’s confidence has not wavered one bit. However, it is clear he has not been the same since the playoffs began.
In the regular season, he allowed just five earned runs. In this postseason, he’s already allowed six.
The Guardians were down to their final strike, but Jhonkensy Noel blasted a two-run homer to tie it off Yankees closer Luke Weaver. In the 10th, David Fry blasted a two-run homer off Clay Holmes, who had a career postseason ERA of 0.00 entering the night.
David Fry of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates a two-run home run during the tenth inning against the New York Yankees during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field Oct. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
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Game 4 is in Cleveland at 8:08 p.m. Friday, and the Guardians have a chance to tie the series at two and force a Game 6 back in the Bronx.
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