Cleveland Guardians face New York Yankees in key series this week

The Cleveland Guardians beat the New York Yankees 9-4 in their first meeting of the season. Scheduled to meet for three games this week at Yankee Stadium and three more next week in Cleveland, both teams are having strong seasons, with the Guardians leading the AL Central at 35-27 and the Yankees second in the AL East at 36-24. The Guardians received standout performances from rookies, particularly Travis Bazzana, who drove in three runs. The team's pitching also remains a strong point, highlighted by Cade Smith's emergence as a reliable closer. These matchups are significant as historical postseason rivalry looms between the two franchises, with the Guardians hoping to make a deeper playoff run this year.

• 9:20 PMYahoo Sports — What's going right for the Cleveland Guardians? And can they challenge the Yankees atop the American League?