Two veteran managers, facing a sudden-death game, decided to give the ball to Marcus Stroman because they had determined he had the right stuff — diabolical sink to his pitchers and unsinkable faith in himself.
In a decisive Division Series Game 5 against the Rangers in 2015, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons turned to Stroman, as did Jim Leyland for the World Baseball Classic final in 2017. Both times Stroman excelled, which is part of his credentials as contenders mull acquiring the small righty over the next week.
The Yankees, in particular, try to determine whether a pitcher cannot only handle stressful games, but their specific pressurized situation.