The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole for moments like this: a do-or-die game in the playoffs, the team’s season hanging in the balance.
This time, unlike last year’s Wild Card Game, the Yankees need to win to keep the postseason going, but also need to win Monday to advance to the next round. And unlike last year, where Cole faced a Boston team that had hit him hard in the regular season, he’s facing a Cleveland team that he gutted through 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against, escaping a third inning that nearly produced a very crooked number.
“Familiarity, probably, and then, if you run into somebody that's hot, usually that spans the course of the series,” Cole said Saturday when asked about the challenges of facing a team twice in less than a week. “(Last outing), I thought we were solid in general, kind of in all aspects, and so looking to find little ways to improve and stay right there.”
Cole says he enjoys that kind of chess match, because facing a team twice in five days means it’s “probably the postseason,” but in this one, he’s going from Yankee Stadium hosting its first playoff game to Progressive Field, which will be rocking as they hope to see their Guardians vanquish the Yankees and move on to face Houston in the ALCS.
And it’s not going to be a forgiving atmosphere.
“I just try to be indifferent to the environment regardless of where you're at, really. Prepare yourself for cheering at certain times when you're at home and certain times when you're on the road, and the main goal is always to cut through the noise and find your focus,” Cole said. “And outside of that, like, yeah, it's October so it's cold and, you know -- but it's cold in New York too, so whatever.”
The biggest challenge may be to not let Jose Ramirez beat the Yankees, as Ramirez has a Guardians-high .462 average but has yet to record a homer or RBI…which is a streak Cole knows won’t last forever.
“He's a really special player, and he's been one of the most productive players in the league, certainly pretty much as long as I've been here,” Cole said. “He has a lot of talent and I think he's a good leader. He's been here for a long time, and Cleveland always seems to be extremely competitive with him on their team.”
If the Guardians as a whole are extremely competitive on Sunday night, well, Cole’s season may end, along with a Yankees season that will have to be seen as a colossal failure just three months after an All-Star break where the all-time wins record seemed within reach.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Listen live to WFAN via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
Follow WFAN on Social Media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
