Yankees 'blessed' to give the ball to Gerrit Cole to kick off World Series
NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Yankees ace Gerrit Cole already has one World Series win, but he may need more than that for the Bronx Bombers to win the Fall Classic.
Manager Aaron Boone tapped Cole as the Game 1 starter when the Yankees and Dodgers kick off the World Series Friday night in Los Angeles. The Yankees are looking for their first championship since winning their 27th title in 2009.
"He walked in here with a lot of expectations and a lot of weight on him to be the ace of our staff, and he's been every bit of that," Boone said Tuesday at a press briefing at Yankee Stadium. "We're blessed to be giving him the ball to get this thing started."
Cole is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career World Series starts with the Houston Astros. Since joining the Yankees in 2020, Cole has gone 5-2 in the postseason, according to MLB.com stats. He has one win during this playoff run.
"He's had those tough moments that he's been good at answering throughout his time with us," Boone said. "He's proven himself to be a big-game pitcher."
New York is 8-3 against the Dodgers in the most frequent World Series matchup, including 6-1 against Brooklyn and 2-2 since the rivalry became Big Apple against Tinseltown.
Jack Flaherty will start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series opener.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.