Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Gerrit Cole Could Come Out of Bullpen in Game 5 of ALDS

Don't be surprised if Gerrit Cole jogs in from the bullpen in a huge spot on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Max Goodman

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NEW YORK — The Yankees turned to Gerrit Cole with their season on the line on Sunday in Cleveland and the ace delivered.

Cole threw seven innings of two-run ball, earning the win as he stifled the Guardians in Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field.

Two days later, after a rainout pushed the finale of this series to Tuesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, New York may lean on Cole in a do-or-die situation once again.

Cole is in play to come out of the bullpen in Game 5 on Tuesday, per Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

"I'll get with him today, and he could definitely be in play, but we'll see how it goes here the next few hours with him," Boone said a few hours before first pitch. "It's potentially in play."

Cole threw 110 high-intensity pitches in Cleveland on Sunday. This time of year—with one loss separating the Yankees from a long, cold winter—it's no surprise Cole is an option. That said, the additional day from the rainout should give Boone a fully-rested bullpen to work with. That means relievers like Wandy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga and more will all be ready to come on in relief.

With the postponement, New York was able to revert back to their initial plans when it comes to their starting pitchers. Jameson Taillon was initially slated to get the ball on Monday night. Instead, Nestor Cortes will start, four days after he pitched five innings in Game 2.

"I just want him to go as hard as he can and he'll probably be shorter, so obviously the bullpen is going to play a big role in this I would imagine," Boone explained. "But we'll just pay close attention to it and hopefully he can get us off to a good start."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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