Gerrit Cole & Anthony Rizzo Lead Yankees to Win Over Guardians in Game 1

Gerrit Cole pitched like an ace, the lineup hit a pair of home runs and a battered bullpen pitched well, as the Yankees beat a Cleveland team that’s been overachieving.

All in all, it was just about a perfect night for the Yankees in The Bronx, as they got off to a good start in the ALDS with a 4-1 win in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

“A good day’s work and get ready for the next one,’’ Cole said of the performance. “Kind of simple.”

With the Yankees playing their first postseason home game since 2019, the sellout crowd of 47,807 was loud throughout the game — and especially when Harrison Bader tied it in the third inning with a homer for the Yankees’ first hit.

Jose Trevino gave them the lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth that scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Anthony Rizzo provided some cushion with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Cole delivered a terrific outing, allowing just one run in 6 ¹/₃ innings.

“That’s what aces do,’’ said Clay Holmes, who got the final two outs of the game for the save.

There were some tense moments early, as Kiner-Falefa misplayed Amed Rosario’s one-out grounder to his left for an error in the first inning.

Cole whiffed Jose Ramirez for the second out, with Rosario stealing second on the strikeout pitch. Cole then fanned Josh Naylor on a 3-2 knuckle-curve to end the inning and strand Rosario.

Ex-Met Andres Gimenez doubled to right with one out in the second, but Cole again escaped trouble with two straight strikeouts, this time of Will Brennan and Austin Hedges.

The Yankees fell behind 1-0 when Cole gave up a homer to right to Steven Kwan, who hit just six home runs during the regular season. Cole gave up an American League-high 33 home runs in the regular season and has now allowed a homer in seven straight playoff games.

He then hit Rosario with a pitch and gave up a double to left-center to Ramirez.

Naylor grounded to first and Rizzo threw home, but Rosario got back to third safely on the fielder’s choice and the bases were loaded for Oscar Gonzalez.

But Cole stiffened and got Gonzalez to ground to third, which Josh Donaldson turned into a force at home. Cole then got Gimenez swinging to end the threat.

Bader tied the game at 1-1 with one out in the bottom of the inning, hitting a homer to left-center out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

Bader hadn’t gone deep since June 2 and had been 3-for-22 with 14 strikeouts in 10 postseason games, all with the Cardinals.

“Momentum is really big in these games,” Bader said. “Taking care of the baseball is really big in these games and answering back kind of shifts momentum.”

The blast was the Yankees’ only hit off Cleveland right-hander Cal Quantrill until the fifth, when Donaldson nearly gave the Yankees the lead, opening the inning with a fly ball to deep right, but it bounced off the top of the wall and back into play.

Donaldson, thinking it was a home run, was caught between first and second base and thrown out at first. A crew chief review confirmed it was the right call.

Kiner-Falefa followed with a base hit to right, where it was misplayed by Gonzalez and Kiner-Falefa got all the way to third. He scored on Trevino’s sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.

Meanwhile, Cole retired 11 of 12 after the Naylor fielder’s choice in the third.

Aaron Judge walked to lead off the sixth and with Rizzo at the plate, stole second and advanced to third when Hedges’ throw went into center.

Rizzo then crushed Quantrill’s final pitch of the night into the second deck in right. The two-run blast gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead.

Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta and Holmes tossed 2 ²/₃ scoreless innings to finish it.

“With them coming in after a big wild-card series win, it feels really good to come out and get Game 1,’’ Rizzo said.

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