Cody Poteet was not someone anyone thought was going to start a game in this Yankees-Dodgers series.
The 29-year-old was down with the Triple-A club when Clarke Schmidt went down with an injury, and for his first start since his call-up, he’d have to go up against Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the rest of a formidable Dodgers lineup.
But on Friday night, the bright lights of Yankee Stadium were not too much for Poteet. The right-hander did not give up a run in 4.2 innings of work and allowed the Yankees a chance at winning the series opener.
“[Poteet] was on the attack,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “They were patient with him in that first inning and he executed a lot out of the gate and then has a quick second inning. We did everything we needed him to do tonight to set us up and give us a real good opportunity, but unfortunately, we couldn’t break through.”
Despite allowing just two hits over the aforementioned 4.2 innings, the Yankees offense could not get going against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers bullpen, ultimately falling 2-1 in extra innings.
Poteet’s journey has been tough. After spending his first two seasons with the Marlins he missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. He signed with the Yankees this offseason, and after initially not making the Opening Day roster, he was called up to make two starts earlier this season, both wins. However, Friday was the first time he’d pitched in the Bronx.
“It was incredible. Probably the most fun game I’ve ever pitched,” Poteet said of the atmosphere on Friday. “Very thankful for that experience. It was a privilege…. Not many people get to say they pitched at Yankee Stadium for the New York Yankees. Not to mention the other team we were facing too. It was an incredible experience.”
Poteet credited a good game plan and catcher Jose Trevino behind the plate for keeping him dialed in and focused on executing.
“We knew what we wanted to do with each guy, and it was really clear from the get-go,” Poteet explained. “I put a lot of trust in him. Didn’t shake much tonight. He just did a great job back there.”
With Schmidt out for a number of weeks and Gerrit Cole still making his way back to the rotation, Poteet could remain with the club for a few more starts. Although Poteet’s fate with the club is unknown, the UCLA product says he’s going to remember this start against the Dodgers whenever he needs a confidence boost.
“It’s a very helpful step in the right direction for me,” he said. “It’s something I’ll remember and draw back on because I know I can get certain guys out, definitely.”
