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          Guardians stun Yankees with walk-off, sparking social media frenzy

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          Kyle Manzardo smacks first postseason HR to put Guardians ahead (0:26)

          Kyle Manzardo cranks a no-doubt home run in the bottom of the third inning to push the Guardians ahead of the Yankees with a 2-1 lead. (0:26)

          • ESPN
          Oct 18, 2024, 01:42 AM

          The Cleveland Guardians avoided an 0-3 deficit against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series -- barely.

          Down by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Guardians right fielder Jhonkensy Noel knotted things at 5-5 with a home run. An inning later, David Fry hit his own two-run homer, giving Cleveland the 7-5 win.

          Noel is just the third player with a tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning or later of an ALCS game. Fry's walk-off home run is the third in Guardians playoff history.

          The Yankees are now 196-2 in their postseason history when leading by multiple runs in the ninth inning or later. The series will continue with Game 4 on Friday in Cleveland.

          The Guardians' escape from defeat prompted reaction from around the sports world.

          ESPN Research contributed to this story.