David Fry hits walk-off homer in 10th as Guardians rally past Yankees

Jhonkensy Noel saved Cleveland's season. David Fry extended it.

With two huge swings, the Guardians hit back at the big, bad New York Yankees and tightened an AL Championship Series that was just about over.

Noel connected for a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning and Fry hit a two-run shot in the 10th as Cleveland rallied past New York 7-5 on Thursday in an unforgettable Game 3 to pull the Guardians to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Cleveland's unexpected season that included 92 wins and the AL Central title was on the brink after Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer off All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and Giancarlo Stanton followed with a solo drive in the eighth to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

But Noel, a burly outfielder known as Big Christmas, delivered an October gift and Fry followed with his second momentous homer in these playoffs.

It was exhausting, thrilling and dramatic as the Yankees and Guardians jammed a season's worth of highlights into three innings.

"That was playoff baseball," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Both sides just kept coming with haymakers and big at-bats, big moments off of two really good bullpens. They outlasted us. They had one more good swing than us. That's part of it. We'll be ready to roll tomorrow."

The Guardians trailed 5-3, had no runners on base in the ninth and were moments from falling into a 3-0 deficit when Lane Thomas doubled against Luke Weaver, who had been perfect in eight save chances since taking over as the Yankees closer in September. Noel then delivered his towering homer.

As he rounded the bases, Progressive Field fans danced on their seats and in the aisles in a moment reminiscent of Rajai Davis' tying homer off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of 2016 World Series Game 7.

It was fitting that Davis, who now works for Major League Baseball, was on hand to see Noel's homer that now belongs beside his in Cleveland history.

"We're a team that don't quit," Noel said through an interpreter. "We play 27 outs, so that's kind of what happened today."

Fry's swing ended an instant fall classic.

Bo Naylor singled leading off the 10th against Clay Holmes and Brayan Rocchio sacrificed. Naylor took third on Steven Kwan's comebacker before Fry, who hit a Division Series-saving homer in Game 4 at Detroit, sent a 1-2 sinker into the left-field bleachers.

Fry watched the ball sail into the stands before heading toward first. He was mobbed by teammates after crossing home plate as fans tossed drinks in the air while trying to process the emotional rollercoaster they had endured.

"I blacked out," Fry said. "I remember being like halfway down the first baseline looking back at the dugout and looking and saying, alright, I just have to make sure I touch all four bases and get home and celebrate."

Cleveland can tie the series with a win on Friday.

Guardians own longest active title drought

The Guardians still have a chance to end baseball's current longest World Series drought, stretching to 1948.

Judge homered in Game 2 but was batting just .143 (3 of 21) with eight strikeouts this October before coming to the plate against Clase, the AL's saves leader and MLB's most feared reliever.

After falling behind 1-2 in the count, Judge, who was on the field taking batting practice five hours before the game, sat back and drove a 99 mph cutter from Clase the opposite way to right, the ball just clearing the outfield wall.

New York's players poured out of the dugout to celebrate as Judge, the likely AL MVP after hitting 58 homers in the regular season, circled the bases following his 15th postseason homer.

But even though they had the lead, the Yankees weren't taking anything for granted.

"I wouldn't say we were looking ahead to the World Series," Judge said. "We still have another game, even if it was 3-0."

Clase had been impeccable all season, allowing just five runs and recording 34 consecutive saves while dominating almost every time he took the mound. But he was tagged for a three-run homer in the ninth by Kerry Carpenter in the ALDS before Judge and Stanton got him within a span of eight pitches.

Betts, Ohtani help Dodgers put Mets on the brink

Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and scored four times, Mookie Betts also went deep and drove in four runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the New York Mets 10-2 on Thursday night for a 3-1 lead in their lopsided National League Championship Series.

Betts had a two-run homer and a two-run double among his four hits. Max Muncy extended his streak of reaching base safely to 12 plate appearances, a postseason record, and the Dodgers moved within one win of their 25th pennant — most in NL history.

Game 5 is Friday at Citi Field, with Jack Flaherty expected to pitch for Los Angeles with an opportunity to put his hometown team in the World Series.

New York had not committed to a scheduled starter, but it was likely to be Kodai Senga or David Peterson.

Surprise cleanup batter Tommy Edman had three RBIs, including a tiebreaking double off starter Jose Quintana with two outs in the third inning. Kike Hernandez followed with an RBI single that made it 3-1.

Betts broke open the game, greeting reliever Jose Butto with a two-run double in the fourth and then right-hander Phil Maton with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Both big hits followed walks to Ohtani, and Betts gave a huge fist pump between second and third as he rounded the bases following his third homer of these playoffs.

Mark Vientos provided a rare highlight for New York, hitting his fourth postseason homer in the first inning off $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But the Mets, who were 14-2 in their past 16 games at Citi Field when they arrived back home Wednesday, were blown out on their own turf for the second consecutive night.

New York has been outscored 30-9 in the series, including 9-0 in the opener and 8-0 in Game 3.

The latest flop after a thrilling comeback ride this far into October hushed a sellout crowd of 43,882 and left Citi Field eerily quiet in the late innings — and just about as empty as April.