3 Yankees who need to step up to avoid falling into an 0-2 World Series hole

Game 1 of the World Series certainly felt like the worst-case scenario for the New York Yankees. They got a great start from Gerrit Cole, but virtually everyone else with few exceptions struggled in what ended up being a back-breaking loss. Sure, it was only Game 1, but it's going to take a lot for the Yankees to rebound from a walk-off grand slam.

The task for New York won't get any easier in Game 2. Not only will they have to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a pitcher who dominated them during a June start at Yankee Stadium earlier this season, but they'll also have to deal with the Dodgers' ridiculous lineup without their best pitcher.

The series is far from over, but this game feels like a must-have. Having to win four of the next five games against a team as good as the Dodgers feels very improbable, to say the least. Evening up the series is crucial, and the Yankees will need these three individuals to step up for them to head back to New York with a win under their belt.

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3. Aaron Boone must manage a better game in Game 2

Pinning losses on a manager is never ideal, and an argument can be made that the Yankees didn't deserve to win Game 1 with how they played overall, but Aaron Boone absolutely did not help their cause one bit.

His first mistake came in the seventh inning. His ace, Gerrit Cole, was dealing, and under 90 pitches when he surrendered a lead-off single. Instead of letting Cole try to navigate his way through the inning after giving up just one base-runner, Boone instead turned to the volatile Clay Holmes to try and send the game to the eighth with New York in front.

This decision didn't directly impact them at the time as despite Holmes' wildness, the Dodgers did not score in the bottom of the seventh. It did, however, force Boone to turn to Tommy Kahnle to try and escape that same inning, and then go to Luke Weaver in the eighth for five outs. New York's two best relievers being used when they were was why Jake Cousins had to start the tenth to begin with.

The next mistake was inserting Nestor Cortes, a pitcher who hadn't been used in over a month, to face the lethal top of the Dodgers' order with the game in the balance. Cortes got Shohei Ohtani out thanks to Alex Verdugo's heroics but threw a fastball that Freddie Freeman crushed for a walk-off grand slam.

To put it simply, Boone has to be better. Recognize when your ace is throwing the ball well. Don't rely so heavily on Clay Holmes anymore. Don't throw Cortes in a brutal spot. Use Tim Hill.

It's on the players to perform, but it's also on the manager to put them in the best possible situation for them to succeed. Boone did not do that in Game 1 on several occasions. Fixing that will go a long way.

2. Carlos Rodon giving the Yankees effective length will be crucial

Carlos Rodon is not Gerrit Cole, but when he's on, he's very, very good. The Yankees signed him to a six-year deal worth $162 million for a reason, and it's time for Rodon to show up in a big way for New York.

The postseason has been a bit of a mixed bag so far from Rodon. He's had one great start, one mediocre start, and one disappointing one thus far. Expecting him to be great like Cole against this Dodgers lineup is a tall task, but Rodon has to, at the very least, be good and give some length.

We saw on Friday that this Yankees bullpen does not have the same depth as the Dodgers. The Yankees also used all of their best relievers on Friday, which could impact their effectiveness pitching on a second straight day.

Already down 1-0 in the series, this Yankees team can ill-afford an early deficit. They can also ill-afford a short and ineffective outing from their No. 2 starter. If the Yankees are going to win this series, they're going to need to prove that they have the starting pitching advantage that they're supposed to.

1. Will Aaron Judge show up in October?

You knew he'd be here. During the regular season, Aaron Judge might be the best and most feared hitter there is. In October, though, that has not been the case one bit.

Through 10 postseason games this season, Judge is slashing .167/.304/.361 in 46 plate appearances. He has only two home runs and three extra-base hits in those games, and has struck out 16 times. Judge did single on Friday, but that was his only time getting on base in five at-bats. He struck out three times and chased several off-speed pitches out of the strike zone.

What was most alarming was the fact that the Dodgers intentionally walked Juan Soto to face Judge, and the soon-to-be two-time MVP winner popped out in a crucial spot. Had he come up with a big hit, perhaps the Yankees would've won the game.

Gleyber Torres and Soto have been doing their jobs all postseason in front of Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton has certainly been doing his behind him. Judge continues to hit third in the order, but has been awful all postseason long. If the Yankees are going to win this series, they're going to need their superstar to play like one.