YANKEES NOT READY FOR WINTER
New York forces a Game 5 with Rays and Cole’s ready
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge says “pressure is a privilege.”
Judge was referring to the welcome stress that comes with postseason play.
It ratchets up with each game in each successive series.
For the New Yorkers, the first privilege came Thursday night in Game 4 of the AL Division Series against Tampa Bay.
Down 2-1 in the best-offive series, the Yankees had to win to extend their season.
They did, beating the Rays 5-1 at Petco Park to even the series after two straight losses and perhaps bring the advantage back to their dugout for Game 5 on Friday night.
“The playoffs are agonizing, fun, stressful,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The losses really hurt. The wins are really exciting and a giant exhale.”
Boone had to hold his breath awhile in this one, though the Yankees took an early lead and never let Tampa Bay get back into it.
Luke Voit’s home run leading off the second inning got things started. Teammate Gleyber Torres’ tworun homer off the Western Metal Supply Co. building in the sixth provided a 4-1 advantage that was all but insurmountable
Yankees 5, Rays 1
the way the Yankees were pitching, although they tacked on another run in the eighth.
The Rays were limited to three hits, none after Ji-Man Choi’s single leading off the fourth inning.
They had just two other base runners — on walks in the fourth and the eighth — over the game’s final six innings.
“We had some opportunities (against Jordan Montgomery),” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, “We got guys on base, but that big hit just eluded us for whatever reason.”
The Yankees-Rays winner meets the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven ALCS, which begins Sunday at Petco Park. The Astros defeated Oakland in four games in the ALDS to advance.
A New York win would earn the Yankees a rematch of last year’s ALCS, which the Astros won in six games to go to the World Series (losing to Washington). The Rays are attempting to reach the ALCS for the first time since 2008 when they advanced to the World Series for the only time in franchise history (losing to Philadelphia).
While it was lose and go home in Game 4, Boone said bringing ace Gerrit Cole out of the bullpen in a key moment was never a consideration.
Game 5 is another story. “Expect him to be ready to go,” said Boone, who added after the win, “Being able to hand the ball to maybe the best pitcher in the game, there’s some comfort in that.”
Cole started Game 1 on Monday and got the victory in the 9-3 win, allowing six hits and three runs over six innings with eight strikeouts.
The right-hander has never
pitched on three days’ rest, so what did Cole tell his manager when the topic was discussed?
“Just give me the ball,” Cole said.
That is the anticipated answer when you pay a guy $324 million to play for your team.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Cole said after the Game 4 win.
He said pitching on short rest is “not something sustainable for the whole season, but certainly the human body is capable of doing it. ... You always want to be out there in the big moment.”
While the Yankees have this moment because of what they did on the back end of the game, crucial was getting a good performance at the start from Montgomery.
A little recent history: Montgomery couldn’t get out of the first inning the last time he faced the Rays, getting pulled in the first inning after allowing five hits (two homers) and four runs before he could get the third out.
This time, Montgomery allowed just three hits over four innings and struck out four.
kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com