In the end, the Yankees were just too much for the Guardians to overcome. If there was one weakness in Cleveland’s game, it was the strength in New Yorks. Home run power.

The Yankees rode a three-run homer in the first off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton, and a solo homer from Aaron Judge in the second to overwhelm Cleveland 5-1 in the decisive Game 5. 

When Stanton hit the home run in the first, it was one nail in the coffin. When Judge followed it up in the second, it was all done but the paperwork. The Guardians simply don’t have the ability to score a lot at once.

So now the top two teams in the American League square off, like it was scripted from the beginning.

New York heads to Houston to see if anyone can even win a post season game from the Astros. 

Houston is more well-rounded than New York, has a deeper rotation and a healthier bullpen. 

But New York has Judge and Stanton. And when they get hot, it’s pretty hard to overcome them.

Prediction: Houston in seven. (Please do not bet your mortgage on this.)

*****