The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers reached the World Series last year, thanks in part to their vast financial resources.

The Yankees have a lot of homegrown talent, but they can also afford anyone they need.

Max Fried is a great example, as he and the Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-0 last night.

Fried improved his record to 8-1 by pitching six shutout innings. He only gave up one hit while walking two and striking out seven.

The 31-year-old left-hander joined the Yankees after racking up 73 victories and winning the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves.

He signed the biggest deal for a left-handed pitcher in history in the off-season, worth $218 million over eight years.

Cleveland only managed three singles, two by Jose Ramirez and one by Carlos Santana. Ramirez is hitting .330 and has reached base in 31 straight games.

WHAT ABOUT SLADE?

Slade Cecconi didn’t have a bad game, but he needed to be perfect to match Fried’s performance.

Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Cecconi to score Aaron Judge, who is batting .392.

Cleveland reliever Jakob Junis gave up the Yankees’ other two runs in the seventh inning on singles by Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The Yankees (38-23) won the series and hold a comfortable 5½-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East Division.

The Guardians (33-28) are keeping their heads above water, but they trail the Detroit Tigers by 6½ games in the Central Division.

Cleveland will host the Houston Astros in a three-game series that starts tonight at 7:10. Logan Allen (3-3) will start for the Guardians against the Astros’ Colton Gordon (0-1).