Gerrit Cole has game face on a day early before Sunday's ALDS Game 4
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks to the media during the pregame press conference for Game 3 of the ALDS at Progressive Field on Oct. 15, 2022 Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
CLEVELAND — Sunday in Cleveland is going to be bonkers. The Browns are hosting the New England Patriots at 1 p.m. and the Guardians are hosting the Yankees at 7:07 p.m. in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.
The city once derided as the “Mistake by the Lake” is teeming with Browns fans, Guardians fans, Patriots fans and Yankees fans. Flights from New England and New York are packed. Hotel rooms are scarce and ridiculously expensive.
Gerrit Cole will walk into Sunday’s second sports maelstrom when he starts for the Yankees at Progressive Field and attempts to save their season.
Cole was the winning pitcher in the Yankees’ 4-1 victory in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. On Saturday, the Yankees were one out — indeed, one strike — away from putting Cole in a position to send the Yankees to the ALCS. But Oscar Gonzalez’s walk-off two-run single capped a three-run ninth inning that gave the Guardians a stunning 6-5 win, and now Cole will try to force a deciding Game 5.
Cole on Saturday talked about the challenges of facing a team for the second time in five days. He talked about pitching on the road in the playoffs in a hostile environment.
He did so in a low-key tone of voice that suggested he was getting his game face on a day early, just as he did before the series opener. Cole must know he needs total focus to slay the Guardians, who are not powerful but are plenty pesky.
“[I] just try to be indifferent to the environment regardless of where you’re at, really,” he said. “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 has excellent numbers in the regular season at Progressive Field (3-0, 2.33 ERA in four starts) and in the postseason against Cleveland (3-0, 1.77 ERA). That includes his Game 1 outing, when he allowed one run in 6 1⁄3 innings.
Cole is a student of every aspect of pitching, so it wasn’t unusual for him to talk about Progressive Field in a unique way when he was asked if the Guardians’ home has any special characteristics that affect him on the mound.
“There are several ballpark factors [around the league],” he said. “Like for example if you go to Oakland, you’ve got to make sure you’re backing up the bases [because of all the foul territory]. Here, I think the only unique thing to be aware of is when you’re backing up bases, you can lose your footing on the artificial warning track. Outside of that, it’s October, so it’s cold. But it’s cold in New York too, so whatever.”
The forecast for Sunday night calls for temperatures in the 50s with a low in the mid-40s. It might be tough for pitchers to grip the ball, but probably the last thing Cole wants to talk about is gripping the ball after last season’s sticky stuff controversy.
No, he is trying to steer clear of controversy. He sidestepped the whole issue of whether he or someone else should have started Game 1 and proved Aaron Boone correct with his outing on Tuesday. Now all he has to do is do it again in Game 4.
“I thought we were solid in general,” he said. “Kind of in all aspects, and so looking to find little ways to improve and stay right there.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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