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In one of the most thrilling games of the 2024 season, the Cleveland Guardians beat the New York Yankees 7-5 in 10 innings in Game 3 of the ALCS to keep the Yankees from going up 3-0 in the series. The hero for the Guardians was designated hitter/utility man David Fry, who crushed a walk-off two-run home run in the tenth inning off of Yankees reliever Clay Holmes.
Fry revealed what, or more appropriately, what was not going through his mind as he was rounding the bases after the game with ESPN's Bradford Doolittle.
“At that point I blacked out,” Fry said. “No clue. I remember being like halfway down the first-base line looking back at the dugout and looking and saying, ‘All right, I just have to make sure I touch all four bases and get home and celebrate.'”
Fry's home run was the culmination of a back-and-forth instant classic. In the eighth inning with the Guardians up 3-1, Emmanuel Clase, the consensus best closer in baseball, came in with two outs in the eighth inning and a runner on base to face Aaron Judge and try and get a four-out save. Judge lined a ball just over the right field wall to tie the game, bringing up Giancarlo Stanton, who also went deep, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
Fry also addressed Clase's blown save, per Doolittle.
“We were obviously shook, but it was just like, you know what, it's time we give him a break,” Fry said. “He carried our team all year long in the ninth inning, and it's our time to pick him up. I'm glad we did.”
Then, with the Guardians down to their last out in the ninth inning, Jhonkensy Noel came up to the plate with a man on against Yankees closer Luke Weaver and absolutely demolished a ball to left field to sent Game 3 of the ALCS to extra innings. Guardians reliever Pedro Avila was able to work around two walks to keep the game tied, setting the scene for Fry to walk it off.
David Fry's 2024 season with the Cleveland Guardians
One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season has been what Fry has been able to accomplish with the Guardians. Fry was traded to the Guardians organization in 2022 from the Milwaukee Brewers, and made his Major League debut with Cleveland in 2023. But this season, Fry was able to become an everyday player for the Guardians and has been one of the most underrated players in baseball.
An All-Star this season, Fry has spent the majority of his time as the Guardians' designated hitter, but has also started games at first base, left field, right field, and even at catcher. At the plate, Fry has hit .263 with 14 home runs.
In the postseason, Fry has shown that he is who the Guardians want at the plate with the game on the line. Before his heroics in Game 3 of the ALCS, Fry hit a pinch-hit two-run go-ahead home run the Guardians' decisive win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the ALDS.
Now, because of Fry, the Guardians are down just 2-1 instead of 3-0 in the ALCS and have a fighting chance against the Yankees.
