5 Yankees to blame for disastrous extra-innings Game 3 loss to Guardians

If you wanted to have the most emotional, nerve-wracking game of the postseason, Game 3 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians provided just that. Numerous lead changes and multiple home runs by both teams sent the game into extra innings.

Despite the heroics by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees didn't get the win. Instead, the Guardians pulled off the 7-5 win after a two-run homer by David Fry in the tenth inning to cut the ALCS deficit to 2-1.

It was a sloppy game overall by the Yankees, but Judge and Stanton bailed them out with their back-to-back homers. There are plenty of Yankees who deserve some of the blame. Here are five who stand out.

5 Yankees to blame for blowing ALCS Game 3 to Guardians

5. Luke Weaver, RP

Let's start off with the Yankees newfound closer in Luke Weaver. While manager Aaron Boone hasn't officially named Weaver the closer, he has pitched well enough to be locked into that role. In Game 2, Weaver gave up a solo home run to Jose Ramirez in the ninth inning. It was a puzzling decision for Boone to put in Weaver, considering the Yankees were winning 6-2.

But on Thursday, Weaver struggled. While he did get out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth inning, the ninth inning was a whole other story. Weaver watched Ramirez reach on a fielding error by Anthony Rizzo, but forced Josh Naylor to ground into a double play. Just one more out, and the Yankees would take a 3-0 series lead. But Weaver caved.

Weaver surrendered a hard-hit double off the center field wall. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt called upon Jhonkensy Noel to pinch hit for Daniel Schneemann. Weaver ended up surrendering a pitch that Noel sent careening deep into the left field stands to tie the game up 5-5.

Weaver had a bad outing at the worst possible time.

4. Jon Berti, 1B

Boone is known for taking gambles on players playing out of position. He did so with Jazz Chisholm Jr. by playing him at third base, a position he never played before, and it paid off for the most part. But when Jon Berti got healthy and Anthony Rizzo suffered fractures in two fingers, Boone decided to put the former MiamI Marlin at first base, even though he never played their before.

While Berti has shown flashes of playing the position well, he did boot two ground balls in this game, including in the bottom of the sixth inning. Luckily for Berti, the Yankees were able to get out of the jam.

But in the batter's box, Berti wasn't a positive factor. In fact, he was a negative factor. Berti went 0-for-4 in the batter's box with two strikeouts. In fact, Berti grounded into a double play in the top of the seventh inning.

This isn't to say that Rizzo was any better. In fact, he looked shaky fielding at first base. All in all, just a bad night, especially for Berti.

3. Jose Trevino, C

The Yankees decided to make a change at the catcher's position. Instead of going with Austin Wells, who has struggled in the cleanup spot this postseason, they went with Jose Trevino instead.

At first, it looked like a wise move after Trevino hit an RBI single in his first at-bat of the game. But that was immediately negated after he was caught sleeping between first and second and was tagged out. The lack of awareness on the base paths has been a Yankee specialty that has haunted them throughout the season.

Then, there was Trevino's defense. Trevino's arm strength isn't there anymore, and teams are able to steal bases on him with relative ease. With Trevino behind home plate, the Guardians stole three bases.

If the Yankees want to get to the World Series for the first time since 2009, they need to put Trevino back on the bench. He is a liability behind home plate.

2. Clay Holmes, RP

Alex Verdugo has received plenty of flak this season from Yankees fans. Next to him on the list was Clay Holmes, who went from a sure thing as a closer to being a key figure in the Yankees' bullpen woes in the regular season. 13 blown saves on the year are the most by any relief pitcher by a sizable margin. But, Holmes did look better when moved out of the closer's role, especially in the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals.

With Weaver surrendering the game-tying homer in the ninth inning, Boone called upon Holmes to get out of the 10th inning unscathed. Holmes couldn't provide that for the Yankees.

Holmes surrendered a single to Josh Naylor before getting Brayan Rocchio out on a sacrifice bunt and Steven Kwan to ground out. Just needing one more out to escape, Holmes gave up a two-run homer to David Fry to give Cleveland the 7-5 win.

The Holmes that Yankees fans feared when entering games returned at the worst possible time.

1. Aaron Boone, Manager

Credit to Aaron Boone, who has been managing games pretty well throughout these playoffs so far. But on Thursday night, Boone had a game to forget.

There was, of course, the base running blunders that have become a staple in the Boone era in the Bronx. But perhaps his biggest flaw was his bullpen management, and it came back to haunt him.

First things first, Boone has overworked Weaver in this postseason, especially in the first two games. Calling upon Weaver in the bottom of the eighth isn't a bad move on Boone's part, but the ninth inning was a disaster and wiped out a win. Then, there was the decision to put Holmes back in a meaningful spot out of the bullpen, and his ex-closer failed to clinch a Yankees win again this year.

The Yankees have been winning games this postseason, but they haven't been pretty. Boone couldn't afford a bad night from the dugout, and he handed momentum to the Guardians.