Guardians Still Have Massive Concerns After Game 3 ALCS Win

The Cleveland Guardians may have won Game 3 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees in thrilling fashion, but obvious issues still exist.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) hits a double during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians saved their season on Thursday night, rallying to beat the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS. Now, instead of being behind 3-0, it's a 2-1 series.

It feels all well and good for now. Jhonkensy Noel's two-run homer to tie the game in the ninth inning was bonkers. David Fry's two-run blast to win it in the 10th was bedlam.

That being said, there are still some serious underlying problems for the Guardians even after their thrilling victory.

Can Emmanuel Clase be trusted in the playoffs?

Emmanuel Clase was one of the best closers ever during the regular season, posting a 0.61 ERA, 0.659 WHIP and 674 ERA+ (!!!). But in the playoffs? It has been an entirely different story.

Clase had a pair of rough outings against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS, and in Game 3 versus the Yankees, he surrendered back-to-back eighth-inning long balls to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, turning a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit.

Are the postseason lights just too bright for Clase? He never looked this vulnerable at any point during the 162-game campaign.

Stephen Vogt will obviously stick with Clase in save situations. He was an All-Star and a legitimate Cy Young candidate, after all. But how good can the Guardians really feel about Clase right now?

Jose Ramirez still isn't Jose Ramirez

Jose Ramirez is now just 2-for-12 in this series after going 1-for-4 on Thursday evening. Yes, the lone hit was a double, and the other hit was a Game 2 homer, but the home run came when Cleveland was already behind 6-2 in the ninth inning.

Overall, Ramirez has not been good in the playoffs, slashing just .179/.324/.464. What's more, he owns a lifetime .666 OPS over his career in postseason play.

Make no mistake: Ramirez needs to be much better if the Guardians want to have a legitimate chance of winning this series. The contributions from role players like Noel and Fry are nice, but in order for Cleveland to beat New York, Ramirez has to consistently produce.

Aaron Judge may be waking up

We already know that Stanton is essentially the modern day Mr. October. But there were serious questions about Judge's playoff acumen.

Judge had a miserable ALDS showing against the Kansas City Royals, and his struggles continued through Game 1 of the ALCS. However, he homered against the Guardians in Game 2, and in Game 3, he tied the game with a two-run shot off Clase.

Yes, Judge went just 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the affair, but the fact that he has left the yard in consecutive games is scary.

Couple Judge potentially emerging with Stanton's brilliance, and Cleveland could be in some significant trouble moving forward.

In conclusion, exercise cautious optimism

The Guardians are still very much in this series, and their Game 3 triumph was as thrilling as it gets. And again, it's now a very manageable 2-1 instead of an almost guaranteed season-ending 3-0.

So yes: it's good to be optimistic, especially considering that Cleveland has two more games at home on tap. But let's also be real here: the Guardians have some very obvious flaws, and their late-inning theatrics in Game 3 will not suddenly make them disappear.

Perhaps Cleveland's magic will continue, and the Guardians will be able to overcome their blatant blemishes and advance to the World Series.

But for now, it's wise to exercise cautious optimism rather than flashing rose-colored glasses as Cleveland heads into Game 4.