How Carlos Rodón, with tips from Pettitte and Cole, rewarded Yankees' Game 1 gamble

NEW YORK — This is why the Yankees are paying Carlos Rodón $162 million over six years: to have a top-notch poker face. 

Rodon's biggest challenge taking the mound for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series wasn't navigating Cleveland's dangerous lineup. Rodón's greatest enemy was actually himself. 

When the veteran allows his emotions to take control over his outing, things can quickly get out of whack. It's what happened in his first start this postseason against the Royals; he was amped too early and too often — sticking his tongue out and gaping after a first-inning strikeout — and allowed his focus to slip away from the task at hand. He was pulled after coughing up four earned runs in just 3.2 innings against Kansas City.

But he learned a lot in the week between his next playoff start. He studied Gerrit Cole, received advice from Andy Pettitte, and said he would be better his next time out. Even so, it's one thing to do all the prep, but it's another to actually execute on the mound — no less in a playoff start. 

Finally, in his team's 5-2 win over the Guardians on Monday night at Yankee Stadium, the fiery left-hander put his career 11.37 postseason ERA in the rearview and pitched with authority. 

"The goal was to stay in control," Rodón said. "Stay in control of what I can do, physically and emotionally. I thought I executed that well tonight."

He was being modest. Rodón struck out nine batters and allowed just one run on three hits across six innings, and kept his emotions in check every time. But it was easy to tell this was a battle for Rodón. Being nonreactive isn't exactly second nature for him. He seemed to be putting as much effort into controlling his emotions as he was into his pitch diet of