Yankees vs Guardians Preview: Rodón Takes on Messick in Week 63

The Yankees are rolling right now. They've won three straight games, and they just beat the Guardians twice in this series already. Spencer Jones crushed a 443-foot homer in game one, and Manny Chisholm Jr. added another blast to seal the win. Then Freddie Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger went deep in game two. But here's the thing—the Yankees are missing superstar Aaron Judge. He's out with a rib injury for at least four to six weeks. That's huge. So these wins mean even more. The team is fighting without one of its best hitters.

Cleveland's pitching staff is rock-solid. They've built their team around strong arms, with Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee leading the rotation. But the Yankees have something special too. Carlos Rodón is pitching tonight for New York, and he's got serious stuff. The Yankees are also waiting for Gerrit Cole to come back from injury. If he returns healthy, the Yankees could have one of the best one-two punches in baseball. Max Fried, the Yankees' ace, is still ramping up from his elbow bruise. Tonight, Parker Messick starts for Cleveland. Both teams know this game comes down to pitching.

These teams have played tight games. The Yankees won 3-2 yesterday when Chisholm Jr. homered in the eighth inning. The game before that went into extra innings before the Yankees pulled out a 7-5 victory. Back in June, New York won 2-1 in a low-scoring pitcher's duel. You can see the pattern here—neither team is running away with anything. Cleveland is struggling lately, losing three straight before this series. The Guardians sit at 37-32 while the Yankees are 40-26. Both teams need this win badly. Every game matters now.