Takeaways from Game 2 of the ALCS between the Guardians and Yankees on Oct. 15 at Yankee Stadium: • It isn’t complicated. The Guardians are down two games to none to the Yankees in the best-of-seven ALCS after losing Game 2, 6-3, because they failed to deliver timely hits in both games. The Guardians struck out 14 times in the 5-2 loss in Game 1 on Oct. 14. Jose Ramirez was 0-for-4, Lane Thomas was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts and Josh Naylor was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. It was a different story with the same ending a night later. The Guardians left 11 runners on base and twice left the bases loaded in Game 2. Ramirez was hitless until he hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to cut New York’s 6-2 lead by a run. Ramirez is hitting .167 in this postseason. He hit .279 in the regular season. Naylor is hitting .214 and Andres Gimenez .174 through the five games of the ALDS with the Tigers and now two with the Yankees in the battle for the American League pennant. “We just didn’t get a big hit with runners in scoring position tonight,” Manager Stephen Vogt told reporters in his postgame interview. “We’re one swing of the bat away from taking the lead in that game. We’re one swing of the bat from being right back in it. That’s who we are. We don’t quit. We just need to keep being us.” After a travel day Oct. 16, the series moves to Cleveland for three games (if the Yankees don’t sweep) beginning Oct. 17 at Progressive Field. Matthew Boyd will start for the Guardians. • David Fry hasn’t been able to suit up as a catcher for the Guardians since suffering a right elbow injury in a game with the Blue Jays on June 23. Because the elbow is still bothering Fry, was used as a designated hitter (53 games) more often than at any position in the field for the rest of the season. Fry’s limitation left Vogt in a bind in Game 2. The Yankees jumped to a 3-0 lead after three innings. The Guardians loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth with catcher Bo Naylor due up. Vogt called Bo Naylor back and sent Fry to the plate to pinch-hit against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole. Fry was a hero in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Tigers with a two-run home run to put the Guardians on top, 4-3, in the top of the seventh. He also drove in a run on a safety squeeze in the ninth. Fry, eager to deliver again, popped out into foul territory on the first pitch he saw. Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging to end the inning. With no position to play, Fry’s night was done on one swing. That meant Austin Hedges had to catch the rest of the game. He is an excellent defensive catcher. Not that Bo Naylor is much of a threat at the plate, but Hedges batted .152 this season with 15 RBI in 132 at-bats. “It was the highest leverage moment of the game — bases loaded, one out,” Vogt said. “We want to take a shot with David. Gerrit Cole, really good pitcher, made a good pitch on David and got the pop up. “Austin’s been a big part of our team. We wanted to take our shot right there. We felt that was our biggest opportunity at that point. You don’t know when you’re going to get three guys on against somebody like Gerrit Cole.” The Guardians cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2 in the fifth. They had the bases loaded with two out when it was Hedges’ turn to bat. Hedges struck out swinging. • Tanner Bibee started for the Guardians and did not last two innings. He gave up an unearned run in the first inning when Rocchio misplayed a pop up near second base by Aaron Judge. Bibee gave up two straight singles and a double to three straight New York batters to start the Yankees’ second. After getting Gleyber Torres on a pop out, Bibee walked Juan Soto intentionally to load the bases with Judge due up. Voght pulled Bibee and handed the ball to reliever Cade Smith. Judge drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and then Smith struck out Austin Wells. So the move to Smith worked. Bibee, a fierce competitor, shook his head as he left the mound. He seemed to glare at somebody in the dugout as Smith was pitching. Bibee threw only 39 pitches. Vogt might call on him to start Game 5 on Oct. 19 on three days rest.