Yankees-Guardians set for afternoon matchup at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of ALDS

CBS2’s Zinnia Maldonado caught up with fans as they made their way into the stadium. She found some folks who said Thursday’s rain delay worked in their favor. 

With tickets in hand — a hand sporting Yankees nails and carrying a Yankees purse — Andra Grivulis told Maldonado she’s ready for Game 2. 

“I want to win today, I want to win tomorrow, and then we’ll talk about Houston next week,” she said. 

She was one of the thousands of fans who had to switch plans after Thursday’s game was postponed due to rain. 

“The idea of going into work dragging today. Whereas, I stayed all day yesterday at work. Now, it’s PTO day,” she said. 

“Worked out great for me,” said Louis Dilullo, of Rhode Island. “This morning, I woke up at quarter to five, drove down to Stamford, Connecticut, took the train. Now, I’m ready for the ballgame.”

Friday morning, long lines of fans headed into the stadium with big energy, coming off a high as the Yankees lead the division series against the Guardians after taking home a win during Game 1 on Tuesday. 

“Everybody’s so excited, they got their kids. Yeah, it’s a good time, it’s nice to see,” Harlem resident Hope Maddox said. 

“Hopefully, a good game out of Nestor Cortez today. It’s going to be tough, Bieber is a good pitcher,” said Bronx resident Peter Passidomo. 

Should the series go the maximum five games, the two teams face the prospect of playing four games in four days in two cities. The Yankees head to Cleveland to play Game 3 Saturday and Game 4 Sunday. 

Mayor Eric Adams said this year’s MLB postseason is expected to generate at least $93 million in economic activity. Business owners near the stadium said it’s a good thing if the team comes back home for Game 5 Monday.   

“This neighborhood and a lot of neighborhoods got devastated during the pandemic, and we’re still digging out,” said Joe Bastone, who owns Yankee Tavern. “So we do need the economics. But all I know is we’ve got to win today, we’ve got to beat the Guardians.”

The first pitch is set for 1:07 p.m.