Yankees defend Josh Donaldson blunder, pitcher ready for new role: 6 ALDS Game 1 takeaways

Jameson Taillon was going to enter in the ninth inning if Clay Holmes faltered. The Yankees won the game 4-1. Scott Effross will have Tommy John surgery and probably miss the rest of the season.  Pitching coach Matt Blake said the Yankees were willing to try it. He said they were confident in Taillion's ability to throw strikes against the Guardians' hitters. Lou Trivino and Miguel Castro were also options. They were healthy. It didn't come to that. In the end, Holmes settled down and the inning ended.

Yankees are taking a 2-0 lead in the ALDS.

Josh Donaldson made a mistake in the fifth inning. Matt Carpenter shagged balls in live batting practice. Isiah Kiner-Falefa made an error in his second at-bat, but he made several nice plays. Gerrit Cole was given a warm sendoff after giving up a run.   He was greeted by the crowd as he walked off the mound. He said it was special. It was his last game. The game was not over. There was a lot of traffic on the bases. They were in every pitch. I thought they were good. it's not the most comfortable time to acknowledge the fans.

Several players working out at Double-A Somerset were around for the game.