When Luis Gil entered the Yankee Stadium press conference room Monday afternoon, he didn’t yet know whether he would be pitching a Game 4 to bring the Yankees even in the World Series, or to save their season from an 0-3 hole.
Either way, though, Gil knew the magnitude of the moment, and is ready for it.
“I think it's going to be great. It's going to be like a dream come true. Just being out there and (pitching), I think it's going to be incredible,” Gil said before Game 3. “I think the experience that I've gotten from watching and participating is just how to control the emotions out there. There's a lot going on, but at the same time, you just have to take it pitch by pitch and batter by batter.”
Gil knows that control and efficiency will be paramount against a tough Dodgers lineup that one can’t simply out-stuff. The Yankees have seen two starters in a row fail to get out of the third inning, and the bullpen has thrown 17 2/3 innings in three games.
And now, it’s up to Gil, who has pitched once in the last month – a four-inning outing in Game 4 of the ALDS 11 days ago – to basically save the season.
“I think it has been key to the way you prepare and practice, staying as close as you can to the routine we had throughout the year,” Gil said of his long layoff. “So just working hard and trying to stay as sharp as you can and really just looking forward to (Game 4). Hopefully everything is going to be good for us.”
And if not, a season that saw them win their first pennant in 15 years will end with their first World Series sweep loss in 48.