Luis Ortiz spins out of control as Guardians fall to Yankees, 5-1

Updated: Apr. 23, 2025, 4:04 p.m.|Published: Apr. 23, 2025, 3:55 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Luis Ortiz channeled his inner Danny Salazar on Wednesday afternoon in a busy, but uneven start against the Yankees at Progressive Field.

With the Guardians needing a win to complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees for the first time since September 1970, when they were named the Indians, Ortiz was all over the place in a 5-1 loss.

Ortiz struck out eight, walked five and allowed four earned runs in the loss. He did all that in just 4 1/3 innings, while throwing a career-high 104 pitches.

It was a definite flashback to Salazar’s run in Cleveland as a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher, who didn’t always know where the ball was going. In a game against the White Sox on April 10, 2014, Salazar struck out 10, walked two and allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings. He was a bit more efficient than Ortiz, throwing just 93 pitches.

The loss ended the Guardians’ five-game winning streak. They have won 11 of their last 15 games.

Ortiz, acquired in December in a deal with the Pirates, entered Wednesday’s game with three solid starts behind him. In his last two starts, he beat the Royals and Pirates, allowing just three runs on five hits in 10 2/3 innings.

The Yankees, however, wasted no time reaching Ortiz (2-3, 5.96).

After Ben Rice started the game with a walk, Aaron Judge tripled high off the 19-foot center field wall for a 1-0 lead. It was Judge’s fifth straight hit going back to Tuesday night’s 4 for 4 performance.

Ortiz walked Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt doubled off the top of the wall in straight away center field to score Judge for a 2-0 lead.

After a visit by pitching coach Carl Willis, Ortiz ended the inning with three straight strikeouts.

The Guardians made it 2-1 off left-hander Carlos Rodon when Gabriel Arias doubled with one out in the first, and scored on Jose Ramirez’s single that Bellinger misplayed in center field. Arias was going to stop at third, but scored easily when the ball skipped past Bellinger. Ramirez didn’t stop until reaching third.

The Guardians, however, could not get Ramirez home as Carlos Santana popped out and Will Wilson, making his big league debut, lined out to first.

The Yankees made it 4-1 in the second as Oritz continued to search for his control. Jasson Dominguez walked to start the inning, stole second and scored on Rice’s hard-hit single off Santana’s glove at first.

Judge followed with his sixth straight hit, a single to left that moved Rice to second. Rice took third on Bellinger’s fly ball to the track in center and scored on Goldschmidt’s single.

Ortiz walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. to load the bases, which prompted another visit from Willis. Ortiz responded by striking out Anthony Volpe to end the inning.

Rodon, facing the Guardians for the 22nd time in his career, took the game over from that point.

Angel Martinez opened the second with a bunt single, but Rodon (3-3, 3.50) retired three of the next four batters. Steven Kwan reached on a bloop one-out single in the fifth, but Arias fouled out to second and Ramirez grounded out.

Rodon left after seven innings. He allowed one unearned run on four hits. He struck out eight and walked two in 90 pitches.

He is 9-5 with a 2.66 ERA in his career against Cleveland. Those nine wins include the no-hitter Rodon threw against Cleveland on April 14, 2021, with the White Sox. It was one of three times the Guardians were no-hit that season.

The Guardians were held to four hits by Rodon, Fernando Cruz and Luke Weaver.

Judge, who entered the game hitting .411 (37 for 90), went 7 for 12 in the three-game series.

Wilson and Zak Kent made their big league debuts for the Guardians on Wednesday. Wilson went 1 for 4, collecting his first hit with a single in the ninth. Kent pitched the last three innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Next

The Guardians are off Thursday before Boston visits to open a three-game series on Friday night at Progressive Field.

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