Cole Ragans began his AL Division Series with a relaxing day.
On Sunday, the Royals left-handed pitcher took an 11-minute walk from the team hotel in midtown Manhattan and played catch in Central Park on the Heckscher Ballfields, just like many amateur baseball and softball players do every day.
On Monday, he was just an 8-mile drive away, pitching at Yankee Stadium, where he allowed one run over four innings in Kansas City’s 4-2 victory against the New York Yankees, tying their AL Division Series at one game each.
“Just found a little grass patch there in the middle of Central Park, and me and Sam Long played a little catch there for a little bit,” Ragans said about his teammate. “It was pretty cool.”
Like many pitchers at Heckscher, Ragans struggled with control. He needed 87 pitches to get 12 outs against the Yankees, walking three of the four leadoff hitters and going to full counts on five of his first ten batters.
He struck out Aaron Judge with two runners on in the first inning and Juan Soto with a runner on in the third. “Control was a little erratic,” Ragans said. “Felt like I made pitches when I had to make a pitch.”
The one run he gave up was on Giancarlo Stanton’s RBI single in the third inning, which deflected off shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s glove and into left field. Ragans struck out five and walked four, contributing to the 13 walks that Royals pitchers have given up in two playoff games against the Yankees. He threw 24 pitches in both the first and second innings.
Ragans, who mostly pitched in relief for Texas last year, was traded to Kansas City in late June in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. The Royals quickly switched him back to a starting role, and he finished with a record of 5-2 and a 2.64 ERA in 12 games for them.
“We didn’t know how good Cole was going to be when we acquired him, but it was apparent the end of September he was going to be in our rotation,” said general manager J.J. Picollo.
At 26, Ragans made the All-Star team for the first time this season, ending with an 11-9 record and a 3.14 ERA over 32 starts, striking out 223 batters in 186 and one-third innings. He also pitched six innings of four-hit ball to secure a 1-0 victory against Baltimore in last week’s Wild Card Series opener before leaving due to leg cramps.
