Carlos Rodón takes a page from his fellow Yankees in ALCS Game 1 win

It was exactly the kind of stat Carlos Rodón wanted in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series: nine strikeouts, no freakouts.

He entered the night hoping to complete six innings. He did so, causing 25 strikeouts and misses in the process – the most by a New York Yankee in the postseason since Statcast began tracking such things in 2008. He retired 11 Cleveland Guardians in a row at one point, except for a solo home run in his final inning where he allowed only one runner to second base. The Yankees' 5-2 victory never felt closer.

“That's what he's capable of when he's in that mindset,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.

Rodón, 31, controlled his fastball and himself. Both proved easier than expected.

“It’s not that hard,” he says. “It’s just a matter of being aware of it.”

It wasn't always so easy for Rodón. He once became so upset during an outing that he kicked a bat in the dugout. Another time, when he didn't like what pitching coach Matt Blake said during a visit to the mound, the left-hander turned his back on his coach. It can be almost as difficult to harness one's joy when things are going well: Rodón celebrates every major success as if he might never get another one. Sometimes he can harness that intensity to success; It falls off almost as often.

The Yankees need him to tighten his grip. When they signed him to a six-year, $162 million contract before last season, they expected him to be the big-game pitcher who had received Cy Young Award votes twice. Last season was a disaster; His ERA of 6.85 was the fifth-worst in the sport among starters who pitched more than 60 innings. But he rededicated himself to improving his mentality this winter and his ERA was 3.96 this season. In the second half this value was 2.91.

They trusted him to start this Game 1 – star player Gerrit Cole, who started the decisive Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals, will leave on Tuesday – and he is ready for a possible Game 5 with regular rest to begin. If they advance to the World Series, he could start there twice.

As he learned this week, the postseason is different than the regular season. Two days into the game, the Yankees pitching group holds what are called after-action reviews. In the conversation that took place after Rodón's last appearance — a frustrating 11-out, four-run performance against the Royals in Game 2 of the ALDS — the conversation turned rapid. The focus that helped him dominate in August isn't enough for October.

“He didn’t really have to talk to him much,” Blake says. “He knew this was the next step.”

In that game, Rodón had been electrifying for three innings as the Yankees took a 1-0 lead. He stuck his tongue out and danced off the mound after a three-strikeout in the first frame. Leading the fourth, however, was catcher Salvador Pérez, who has a career .846 slugging percentage against him. Pérez hit a home run. “It just took my focus a little bit,” Rodón said Sunday. He gave up a single and then uncorked a wild pitch. Strikeout, RBI single, stolen base, strikeout, RBI single, and his night was over. Afterward, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said, “We’re going nine innings.”

Rodón had not exploded. But he hadn't locked himself in either. So in Game 4 he studied Cole. He watched as his friend seemed unresponsive to developments, good or bad. Even when an interaction at second base became so violent that both benches were cleared, Cole controlled his anger. He gave up a single and an RBI double, but was the last batter out. Only after going seven one-run innings did he let out a loud roar. Until then, Rodón noted, he was “like a robot going to the dugout.”

He added: “Gerrit is a good poker player. Me, not so much. I need to get better at poker.”

He also spoke with Yankees legend Andy Pettitte, who won five World Series and was the 2001 ALCS MVP. “He knows a lot about it,” Rodón says now, expressionless. “Some would say he was pretty good in the postseason.” They discussed energy and how Rodón often wastes it by becoming emotional during outings. Pettitte reminded him that all his energy should be focused on catching.

“You have to be committed to the craft,” says Rodón. “It’s part of the craft.”

At times it seemed as if Rodón was playing a serious person. He finished each of the first five innings with strikeouts, but each time he trotted off the mound with his head down as if he needed to rush to the bathroom. Even after the sixth inning, which ended with an impressive running catch by center fielder Aaron Judge, Rodón was limited to one glove point against his teammate. The sellout crowd of 47,260 — which, for search engine optimization purposes, included pop star Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — roared. Rodón simply ducked quietly into the shelter.

When Rodón was asked at his postgame press conference what stood out about his performance – certainly the best of his career given the circumstances – he praised his catcher, his defense, his bullpen and his hitters. He attributed his success to good pitch calling. He praised the Guardians batsmen. Even later, as he relaxed at his locker, he refused to break character. He barely smiled. He spoke quietly. He didn't show off the wrestling championship belt that the Yankees award to their player of the game after victories. Did he celebrate his success at all?

“I was just celebrating our victory,” he says. “That’s what I want.”