No debate: Judge, Yankees pound Bieber, Indians in opener

CLEVELAND (AP) — On a night for debates, Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees made quite an opening statement.

Shane Bieber had no rebuttal.

Judge smashed a tone-setting, two-run homer on Bieber's fourth pitch, Cole struck out 13 and the New York Yankees opened the AL playoffs with a resounding 12-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.

Just a few miles from where President Donald Trump and campaign opponent Joe Biden made their cases to the nation in their presidential debate, the Yankees made it look easy in teeing off on Bieber, who was baseball's best pitcher during the condensed regular season but looked average in his playoff debut.

Judge and the rest of New York’s hitters hadn't faced Bieber in 2020, but they were well prepared and took some meaty cuts against the 25-year-old ace, who gave up season highs in runs (seven) and hits (nine) over 4 2/3 innings — his shortest stint since June 9 last season against the Yankees.

“I just felt like the swing decisions were really good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "That’s the key with Bieber. If you’re going to have a chance against him, you’ve got to make quality swing decisions and I felt like the guys did that all night long.”

The best-of-three series continues Wednesday night with Carlos Carrasco trying to save Cleveland’s season against Masahiro Tanaka.

When Bieber's final pitch clanged loudly off the empty left-field bleachers on a two-run homer by Gleyber Torres in the fifth, the Yankees were up 7-2 and had delivered a boisterous postseason message to the rest of baseball: Don't forget us.

Bieber then handed the ball to acting Indians manager Sandy Alomar Jr. and walked slowly toward Cleveland's dugout, seemingly carrying all of the city's hopes for a long run with him....

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/No-debate-Judge-Yankees-pound-Bieber-Indians-15607704.php