New York Yankees Force Game-5 In Divisional Series

CLEVELAND -- The New York Yankees signed Gerrit Cole for games like this. With the Yankees' 99-win season on the brink, Cole spun seven sparkling innings, propelling New York to a 4-2 win over the upstart Cleveland Guardians on Sunday as the Bombers knotted the American League Division Series at two games apiece.

Starting for the 16th time in his postseason career, Cole gave the Yankees exactly what they needed, not just in staving off elimination but also in saving further wear and tear on a bullpen worn down by injuries.

"He just kept making pitches all night long," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I thought he was just really in command of the moment, and it was obviously a huge start for us and for him. And to get us that deep in the game set us up real nice."

The last of those pitches was a 98 mph fastball that struck out Guardians pinch hitter Will Brennan. As he stalked off the mound, Cole pumped his arms and screamed, the intensity on his face suggesting a person who knew he had done the job he was asked to do.

With Cole reducing the workload of the New York bullpen to six batters, Boone was able to use closer Clay Holmes for three outs in the eighth and lefty Wandy Peralta to finish it off in the ninth. Both hurlers faced the segment of the Guardians' order with which they best matched up, just as Boone would have scripted it.

While the Yankees' beleaguered bullpen appears to be in good shape for the finale, so too will be Cleveland's bullpen after manager Terry Francona avoided using any of his big three relievers -- Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan -- during the two games in Cleveland.

In other words, it's going to be all hands on deck as the $68 million Guardians try to knock off the $246 million Yankees.

Tonights game from the Bronx on ESPN 102.3/AM 1000 KSOO begins at 6:00 PM.

Jameson Taillon (14-5) will take the mound for the Yankees while Aaron Civale (5-6) leads the Guardians.

BRRRR: The 15 Coldest Cities in America

You live here. You know how cold it gets, and by now you're probably used to it, but you should probably brace yourself because the National Weather Service issued a La Niña advisory last month and said, "La Niña winters in the southern tier of the US tend to be warmer and drier, while the northern tier and Canada tend to be even colder.

The list below is from Niche. They put together their list of the coldest cities in the county by looking at which ones had "the coldest average low temperatures during the winter months." Keep scrolling to see the 15 coldest cities in the United States.

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Source: New York Yankees Force Game-5 In Divisional Series