Yankees will start Carlos Rodon in Game 1 of ALCS, Guardians starter yet to be announced

Carlos Rodón will get the starting nod for the New York Yankees in Monday’s Game 1 of the American League Championship Series versus the Cleveland Guardians.

In addition the Game 1 starter, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Gerrit Cole will start Game 2 and Clarke Schmidt is tabbed for Game 3.

Rodón allowed four runs and seven hits in the Yankees’ Game 2 ALDS loss to the Kansas City Royals, pitching 3 2/3 innings. He said he learned from the experience of getting rattled after giving up a home run to Salvador Perez following three scoreless innings.

“it brought me out of focus just a tick. I didn’t want to give up that run there and I knew that at-bat was important,” Rodón told reporters on Sunday. “It’s one of those things where if I look back, just trying to keep that focus and try to channel that energy better.”

Also, Boone thinks Rodón will benefit from an extra day of rest going into Monday’s start.

“For him struggling there and getting knocked out in his last outing in the fourth, I also feel like he came out throwing the ball really well in his first big experience,” Boone said, via The Athletic. “Hopefully, it’s something he can take from that outing that allows him to really break through and have that outing we know he’s capable of.”

Cole will pitch Game 2 on his normal five days rest, while Schmidt will get seven days rest before pitching in Game 3. Boone said Luis Gil is a possibility to pitch in the ALCS after not appearing in the ALDS. Game 4 seems a likely spot, unless he appears in relief earlier in the series.

The Guardians haven’t yet announced their Game 1 starter. But if manager Stephen Vogt follows the same rotation from the ALDS, Alex Cobb will likely pitch Game 1, followed by Tanner Bibee in Game 2 and Matthew Boyd in Game 3.