He has the ‘it’ factor

Nobody in the Yankees clubhouse knows pitching like Gerrit Cole.

So his perspective on Cam Schlittler’s sudden rise, punctuated by his masterpiece in a win-or-go-home Game 3 against the Red Sox in their wild-card series — eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in a 4-0 win — carries some extra weight.

“There’s different paths to greatness up here,” Cole said in the champagne-soaked clubhouse. “But certainly, this guy has come up and delivered right away. He’s got ‘it.’ I don’t know what ‘it’ is. It’s hard to define it. But he’s got it.”

“I think it’s really rooted. I think it’s grounded in the sense that he got here executing his process and he’s maintained his elite-level performance executing his process.”

Schlittler, who started the year in Double-A, arrived in the big leagues in July after Clarke Schmidt needed season-ending Tommy John surgery and pitched to a 2.96 ERA across 14 starts.

But what the 24-year-old did on Thursday night entered him into a different tier of Yankees lore. With the season on the line, facing the team he grew up rooting for, Schlittler turned in career highs in innings, strikeouts and pitches (107) while walking none.

“Maybe he was nervous today before the game, or maybe he was nervous [Wednesday] — I don’t know when the hell he was nervous,” Cole said. “But when the game switches on and you just go into that robot mode, that aspect of him is what has vaulted him up.”

---

Aaron Boone had said before Game 1 that Paul Goldschmidt would start against every lefty, but by Game 3, that stance had changed. Why?

“Ben Rice,” Boone said. “He’s been hitting everything hard lately… The last few weeks, the danger and the presence that he is in the box — because obviously what Goldie’s done against lefties is … but I think the threat that Ben is right now can change the game. For me [that] won out.”

Starting at first base against lefty Connelly Early, Rice went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before Goldschmidt pinch hit in the eighth inning and singled against lefty Aroldis Chapman.

Boone had informed Goldschmidt of his decision on Wednesday night and lauded the 38-year-old, a potential Hall of Famer, for how he handled it.

“I mean, he’s unbelievable,” Boone said. “He’s like, ‘I get it, and I’ll be ready to go for whatever.’ … He’s as good as it gets, he really is. Just appreciative of having a person with his career, who he is, his humility and really the ultimate teammate has come shining through again.”

---

---

---

Lefty relievers Brent Headrick and Ryan Yarbrough both threw live batting practice on Thursday afternoon, staying ready in case the Yankees advanced and decided to add either of them to the roster in a future round.

---

Dick Groch, the former Yankees scout who signed Derek Jeter, died on Wednesday at the age of 84.

“RIP Dick Groch,” Jeter posted on X Thursday. “My Yankees scout who believed in me and signed me. Thoughts and prayers are with your family and loved ones.”

Counsell managed the Brewers for nine years before he was hired by the Cubs in November 2023, and he has been lustily booed in Milwaukee ever since he departed.

After Brad Keller faltered in the ninth — allowing Jackson Merrill’s leadoff homer and hitting two batters with pitches — Andrew Kittredge earned the save by retiring Jake Cronenworth on a bouncer to third and Freddy Fermin on a fly ball to center field.

Next up for Chicago is a matchup with the NL Central champion Brewers in a compelling Division Series, beginning with Game 1 on Saturday in Milwaukee.

Counsell managed the Brewers for nine years before he was hired by the Cubs in November 2023, and he has been lustily booed in Milwaukee ever since he departed.