NEW YORK -- Despite being down 2-0 in the World Series, the New York Yankees and Aaron Boone are not ready to make any drastic or desperate changes. The struggling Aaron Judge will remain in the No. 3 lineup spot moving forward and reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole will not start Tuesday's Game 4 on short rest regardless of the Game 3 outcome Monday night.
"It's the World Series, no," Boone said Monday when asked whether he considered dropping Judge in the lineup. "That's our guy, and there's pressure in the series, whatever spot you're hitting. He's our guy and confident he'll get it going."
Judge is 1 for 9 with six strikeouts in the World Series and he's hitting .150/.280/.325 in 11 postseason games overall. This is all very simple: Either Judge hits and the Yankees will have a chance to win the series, or he doesn't and they're done. Changing the lineup is nothing more than rearranging deck chairs. It's still Aaron Judge, he's capable of hitting a ball off the scoreboard in any given at-bat, and big moments are going to find regardless of whether he's hitting third or fifth or ninth. He must perform in those moments, otherwise the Yankees are cooked.
As for Cole, he did not make his season debut until June 19 because of nerve inflammation in his elbow, and he also had a start pushed back in late July because of what the Yankees called "general body fatigue." Boone said those physical issues factored into the decision not to start Cole on short rest in Game 4. Cole has made one career start on short rest: Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS. He struck out nine in 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in an eventual Yankees loss.
Luis Gil, who figures to get some Rookie of the Year votes, will start Game 4. And, really, starting Cole on short rest in Game 4 just means Gil would have to start Game 5. Lefty and Game 2 starter Carlos Rodón is dealing with a blister -- "That's kind of the feeling," Boone said when asked whether Rodón will make the Game 6 start -- and wouldn't be able to start Game 5 on short rest. New York's starting pitching options boil down to this:
| Option A | Option B | |
|---|---|---|
Game 4 | Luis Gil as planned | Gerrit Cole on short rest |
Game 5 | Gerrit Cole on normal rest | Luis Gil with an extra day of rest |
The Yankees need to win four games, not one, and Option A gives them a better chance to win those four games. Cole, for what it's worth, has not thrown even 90 pitches in a start this postseason. Boone admitted his ace was "done" after 88 pitches in Game 1, suggesting they don't want to extend him too much given his injury issues earlier this year. Cole on short rest doesn't make much sense when Gil would have to start Game 5 anyway.
The World Series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, 5 this week. Righties Clarke Schmidt and Walker Buehler are Monday night's scheduled starting pitchers.