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After the New York Yankees lost Game 3 of the World Series Monday night, the FOX Sports postgame crew discussed New York's pitching plans for Game 4. Alex Rodriguez suggested the Yanks start ace Gerrit Cole on short rest. David Ortiz agreed that Cole should at the very least be available in relief, likening the situation to Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
In that game, Yankees starting pitcher Mike Mussina came out of the bullpen after Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez outdueled Roger Clemens. Mussina tossed three scoreless innings with 33 pitches on only two days of rest to keep the Yankees in the game. We all know what happened after that.
This is not exactly the same situation for the 2024 Yankees, but there are similarities. The biggest of them all being the Yankees' season is on the line, as it will be for the remainder of the World Series.
With that in mind, it should be all hands on deck for Game 4 besides last night's starter Clarke Schmidt. That includes Cole, who Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Game 3 that he'd be unavailable for Game 4. That was before the Yanks went down 3-0 in the series.
Boone tabbed rookie Luis Gil as his starter Tuesday night. It would be a massive mistake if that remains the case. If the Yankees want to stay alive – and if Boone wants to keep his job past this season – Gerrit Cole should get the ball in Game 4.
Yankees have little to lose starting Gerrit Cole
Cole is slated to start Game 5 if the Yankees win Game 4. However, there's no tomorrow with a loss, thus no more Cole starts in 2024.
If the Yankees want any chance at winning the World Series, they need to win Game 4 and do it in a dominant fashion. Momentum is an incredible thing in playoff baseball. One pitch or swing can change the series on a dime. That happened with Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1. Gerrit Cole can deliver that momentum-swinging pitch for the Yankees in Game 4.
Cole threw 88 pitches in his Game 1 start, 10 days after his previous outing. He did not top 90 pitches in any of his four playoff starts this October. His arm has not been taxed much this month.
It is worth noting that Cole missed half this season with an arm issue. Perhaps he's still not 100% which would make starting him on short rest a risky proposition.
Outside of that, there is nothing for the Yankees to lose in giving Cole the start in Game 4. Their best moments in this series came with him on the mound in the series opener. Another stellar outing from Cole would fire up Yankee Stadium and could light a spark in the Yankees dugout.
Sure, that can happen in Game 5, but that game is not guaranteed. Aaron Boone's job status is possibly hanging by a thread. He would create some new life if he made the call to start Cole and it pays off.
Gerrit Cole should demand the ball
If Gerrit Cole is who we think he is, he's pushing to start Game 4 or has at least expressed his desire to be available. It ultimately comes down to Boone and the coaching staff, but Cole showing his eagerness to get on the mound could push Yankees brass in another direction.
Cole has given everything to the Yankees since he signed his megadeal in 2019. He's the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and tossed a gem in Game 1. He earned the right to demand to be available for Game 4.
Even if he doesn’t start, the Yankees would be foolish not to consider sending Cole to the bullpen in the middle of the game, barring a blowout lead for New York. It doesn’t have to be a three-inning shutdown like Mussina in '03. Maybe it's getting out of a bases-loaded jam in a tie game in the fourth inning, then shutting down the top of the Dodgers lineup in the fifth.
The Dodgers are rolling out a bullpen game Tuesday night. The perfect scenario would see the Yankees offense get to them early and force the Dodgers to use as many pitchers as possible.
There's still the issue of the Dodgers' offense though, and Cole is the only Yankees starter who's figured that lineup out.
Losing Game 4 and getting swept shouldn’t be on the Yankees' radar. It would kill Gerrit Cole not to get a chance to pitch Tuesday and give the Yankees a chance to stay in this thing. He has to do everything possible to get on the Yankee Stadium mound during Game 4.
