It’s Luis Gil in Game 4 of the ALCS on Friday night, making his first start in almost three weeks in a huge game: win, and the Yankees take a 3-1 lead with a chance to close out the series Saturday night – but lose, and the Yankees are in a virtual best-of-three with the Indians, albeit having lost two straight to make the series a 2-2 dead heat entering Game 5.
“I thank God for the opportunity, and of course the Yankees. It’s a great opportunity and I'm very excited to go out there and compete,” Gil said Thursday before Game 3. “I know it's going to be exciting, and I'm looking forward to it. I feel good, and I feel ready.”
Gil was on the ALDS roster and manager Aaron Boone said he could be deployed in multiple ways, but in the end, despite going through a pretty regular routine, he did not see action in the four-game series.
Instead, Gil threw approximately 70 pitches in a four-inning simulated game on Sunday at Yankee Stadium during the team’s workout day, which was his first real heat-up since the final weekend of the regular season but a big key in staying in his rhythm.
“It was key for us to maintain and stay within that workout routine,” Gil said. “I've felt really good. I felt sharp, the command of the pitches was there,” and the execution and the movement of the pitches was there. Very pleased the way that went.”
“We got a few of our relievers that were on the Division Series roster that either barely pitched or didn't pitch who also got a live inning in a sim game, and they'll get off the mound when they haven't for a couple days, just to try and stay as sharp as you can,” manager Aaron Boone added of what the team is doing with their hurlers. “Nothing is perfect this time of year just with how the series go, and that's part of it. You're not always going to have everyone on their fifth or sixth day for the starters, or relievers aren't always going to get used, or you're getting used a lot and you've got to go to the whip a little bit more. That's just the nature of October baseball. You've got to be prepared as best you can mentally for it, and we do all we can to keep them as sharp as possible.”
The other nature of October baseball is cold weather, and game time temperatures are expected to be in the upper 50s Friday night – but Gil pitched last on a nasty, rainy September day at Yankee Stadium, and said that once he gets going, the adrenaline kicks in and you just have to stay loose in down time.
Whatever he does, he’ll be looking to rebound the Yankees from a crushing extra-innings loss Thursday in front of his mom, sister, wife, and daughter, among other friends and family, against a Guardians lineup that he knows the key to beating is executing – but it’s been something he’s done all year as he built a potential Rookie of the Year case, and something he’ll try to do hoping he gets at least one more start in the World Series later this month.
“It's about understanding what's the plan of attack and how best to carry that plan into the game,” Gil said. “Definitely proud of the season that I was able to put together, and health was a very important aspect of it – but from day one, really locking in on the days that I pitched, maturing as the season went on definitely is one of the reasons why I'm here where I am today. Our goal is to win the World Series, and really excited to keep that going.”