2022 MLB Playoffs: How Thursday’s Yankees-Guardians rainout impacts ALDS
By Deesha Thosar
FOX Sports MLB Writer
NEW YORK — After the Yankees barely played any baseball in the past week-plus, they're suddenly staring at four games in four days.
Following Thursday's rainout of Game 2 of the American League Division Series, which was rescheduled for 1:07 p.m. ET on Friday at Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers and the Cleveland Guardians are getting ready for an atypical playoff schedule.
Major League Baseball scheduled an off day between Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS, but no off days between Games 3, 4 and 5. Since Thursday's rainout pushed Game 2 to Friday, the Yankees and Guardians will play Friday through Monday, if needed. Game 2 will take place at Yankee Stadium, followed by Games 3 and 4 at Progressive Field. The ALDS Game 5 finale will be played Monday in the Bronx, should the series go to the brink in the best-of-five structure.
The Yankees' schedule has been strange since their season ended Oct. 5 in Texas. The Bombers have played just one game in the past eight days, due in part to MLB's new playoff format that extended the one-game wild card into a three-game series, which took place last weekend. On Tuesday in Game 1 of the ALDS, the Yankees didn't seem bothered by their five-day break from baseball. They stormed ahead to 4-1 lead with key home runs from Harrison Bader and Anthony Rizzo.
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Ben Verlander and Alex Curry react to the New York Yankees' Game 1 win over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.
"We worked hard to stay sharp over that break," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday in an appearance on The Michael Kay Show. "Hopefully it serves us well as this month unfolds."
The Yankees are certainly well-rested. As for the Guardians, they enter Friday having played three games in the eight days since their regular season ended. Both offenses might be looking forward to playing four games in four days, as baseball relies on regularity and reps.
If there is an area of concern, it's the starting pitching staffs for both the Guardians and the Yankees, and Cleveland has the disadvantage when compared to New York.
The Guardians will have their ace, right-hander Shane Bieber, on the hill for Friday's Game 2. No sweat there. Right-hander Triston McKenzie will pitch Saturday's Game 3 — another solid starting option. And Cleveland has not yet announced starters for Games 4 and 5. It's possible that righty Cal Quantrill, the Guardians' Game 1 starter, will start Sunday. But he was tapped for four runs (three earned) in a loss to the Yankees on Tuesday, so Cleveland might want to pivot to right-hander Aaron Civale in a potential Game 4. If the series goes down to a winner-take-all Game 5, the Guardians might have no option but to pitch righty Zach Plesac, whom fans were begging to be traded less than a month ago.
The Yankees will have left-hander Nestor Cortés on the mound Friday. Right-hander Luis Severino will pitch Saturday in Game 3, followed by ace Gerrit Cole on Sunday, if needed. The trouble with Cole pitching Sunday is that he would then be unavailable to pitch again until next Friday, should the Yankees advance to the ALCS and presuming Cole remains on normal rest. Cortés said he's ready to pitch on short rest in the event of a Game 5 on Monday at Yankee Stadium, but the Yankees would likely go with right-hander Jameson Taillon.
Of course, with the Yankees leading the ALDS by one game, they can simplify matters by sweeping the series. Such a scenario would give them three days off before the ALCS, which would begin Wednesday against either the Houston Astros or Seattle Mariners.
However, there is no reason for the Yankees to feel extra concern with their schedule changing to four games in four days. As mentioned, the offense will likely benefit from the every-day at-bats, and the Yankees rotation — Cortés, Severino, Cole and Taillon — is set up well against Cleveland. It's the Guardians who will encounter potential problems with their weaker rotation should the ALDS go to a Game 5.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.