LOS ANGELES — The Yankees’ one big advantage in this marquee, megamarket World Series is their rotation. Unlike the Dodgers, who are down to three starters — some say 2 ½ — the Yankees have a full complement of starters.
This should be huge — if they employ their pitchers correctly.
If the Yankees are going to pull a mild upset, they need to win the rotation battle big. The Yankees did win it in Game 1, but not by enough.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole showed impressive velocity (up to 98.2 mph) and excellent control (61 strikes in 88 pitches) and left after starting the seventh inning with a 2-1 lead by slightly outpitching a pretty dominant Jack Flaherty, who used much-improved velo (up to 96, better than vs. the Mets) and a wicked knuckle-curve to get 19 swings and misses.
Some espoused sticking with Cole.
“Not sure why Cole comes out … makes zero sense to run him out there for the seventh, let him face one batter, then get him out,” one scout said.
That’s arguable, as Cole hasn’t quite been himself lately. But what’s indisputable is the Yankees rotation talent/readiness edge — and even more so their enviable depth. They are a rare playoff team with the full complement of four starters in a year when injuries are epidemic and a time when arm attrition is rampant.
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“Every year we have the same process, but some years, you are more fortunate than others,” GM Brian Cashman said. “It’s tough. It’s tough to keep them all healthy. But we’ve been fortunate.”
They are fortunate enough that they take at least an arguable pitching edge into all four matchups. But fairly, Flaherty nearly matched Cole.
Somewhat ironically, the Dodgers obtained Flaherty at the deadline thanks to the Yankees backing away from a possible trade due to a lower back concern. (Hard to imagine the Dodgers near this World Series without Flaherty since they’d be down to two starters — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who returned from shoulder woes, and Walker Buehler, who isn’t himself yet.)
The Yankees were to send slugging catcher Agustin Ramirez, who wound up the key piece in the Jazz Chisholm trade, but ultimately balked at including top pitching prospect Will Warren for a pitcher with an allegedly iffy back.
As it turns out, the Yankees still have a real and full rotation ready, with Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil lined up to follow Cole.