What Needs to Change for Yankees, Guardians to Stay Alive in ALDS

New York and Cleveland both have their backs against the wall

Oct 5, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians are officially one loss away from the end of their seasons.

New York and Cleveland both lost Game 2 of their American League Division Series on Monday. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 5-2, and the Chicago White Sox took down the Guardians 4-3. While there are certainly comparisons to be made about the way both teams lost their first two ALDS games, the biggest similarity is that New York and Cleveland each face a 2-0 deficit heading into Wednesday.

Here's what has to change for the Yankees and Guardians if they want to remain in the 2026 MLB playoffs.

Yankees

Oct. 5, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) is out on a batted ball during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Simply put, the Yankees played an incredibly sloppy game on Monday. After being shut out and held to one hit in Game 1 of the ALDS, New York made as many errors in the field as they had hits at the plate (four) in Game 2. While the Yankees did score two runs on Monday, both came on solo shots by designated hitter Ben Rice.

So far in the ALDS, New York has five hits in two games. Rice, catcher Austin Wells, and outfielder Cody Bellinger are the only Yankees to record a hit in this round of the playoffs. The Yankees hit .086 in their first two ALDS games against the Rays, marking the lowest batting average by an American League team during any two-game stretch in MLB postseason history, according to Sports Reference's Katie Sharp. It's obviously going to be very difficult for New York to win if that doesn't improve.

One silver lining for the Yankees is that they're leaving Tropicana Field and returning to the Bronx for Game 3 on Wednesday. But if New York plans on advancing past the ALDS, they'll have to win one game in Tampa Bay.

Guardians

Oct 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) reacts after striking out against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning in game two of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like the Yankees, Cleveland's bats have been relatively quiet so far in the ALDS. The Guardians had just seven hits and three runs scored in their first two playoff games against the White Sox. Most notably, though, third baseman Jose Ramirez is 0-for-6 to begin the ALDS. Cleveland's face of the franchise will have to turn things around quickly if the team hopes to keep battling in the postseason.

Unlike the Yankees, the Guardians hosted the first two games against the White Sox, so they'll have to win on the road to stay alive. Either way, New York and Cleveland's offenses must wake up if either team wants to avoid being swept out of the playoffs.