The Guardians have become unpredictable at the worst time of the season: Paul Hoynes

Lindor is currently feeling that same chill with the Mets in the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers. On the other side of the MLB, the Guardians face the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

It's unclear if they're feeling the thrill of the October cold or if they're suffering from a high-grade fever that's sending them to the emergency room.

They lost Games 1 and 2 at Yankee Stadium and looked overwhelmed. Their elite defenders made mistakes. Lefty Joey Cantillo and catcher Bo Naylor combined for a record four wild pitches that resulted in three runs. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees' big hitters, combined to hit three home runs. José Ramírez and Josh Naylor, Cleveland's counterparts, scored.

Rookie shortstop and No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio hit a home run for Cleveland in a 5-2 loss in Game 1. However, in Game 2, the Gold Glove finalist dropped a sky-high pop fly from Judge that scored in the a run-scoring first inning of a 6-3 win at New York.

The Guardians are exactly what a team shouldn't be at this time of year – unpredictable.

The hectic nature of the postseason, in which one or two games could end or extend a team's season, has contributed to this unpredictability. Mix in Guardians manager Stephen Vogt's ultra-aggressive postseason management style, and the tension mounts with every pitch.

On Tuesday night, Cleveland star Tanner Bibee was ejected after 1 1/3 innings with the Yankees leading 3-0. Bibee wasn't happy, but Vogt didn't want him to miss the game. It did anyway.

In the fifth inning, he used pinch-hitter David Fry on struggling catcher Bo Naylor with the bases loaded and one out against Gerrit Cole, believing it was the best chance to turn the game in Cleveland's favor. Fry was fouled on the first pitch and offensively challenged Austin Hedges had to pick up the slack the rest of the night.

In Cleveland's seven postseason games this year, Vogt has used just three starting pitchers: Bibee, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb. None of them have pitched more than 4 2/3 innings in a start.

Boyd will make his third postseason start in Game 3 on Thursday at 5:08 p.m., but Cobb is out of the postseason with a lower back strain. Vogt hasn't named a starter for Game 4 on Friday, but it could be Bibee, who only threw 39 shots in Game 2 on Tuesday.

That's the luxury/curse of a strong bullpen, but even that has limits. Rookie Cade Smith has pitched in six of the seven postseason games. Smith and Tim Herrin started all five games in the Guardians' victory over the Tigers in the AL Division Series.

Vogt's style has produced mixed results.

In Game 3 of the ALDS against Detroit, he managed to overcome a 2-0 deficit by pinch-hitting Will Brennan in the second inning and Kyle Manzardo in the third inning. The measures didn't work, as Detroit won 3-0 and brought the Guardians to the brink of elimination.

In Game 4 of the ALDS, Vogt withstood his pinch hitters and the score was 2-2 after five innings. Fry delivered a two-run pinch-hit home run in the seventh and drove in a run with a bunt in his next at-bat to secure a 5-4 win and avoid elimination.

“That’s us,” said Vogt.

And that's what the Guardians can't avoid.

• They must win at least two of the next three home games to force the best-of-seven series to New York for Game 6 on Monday and Game 7 (if necessary) on Tuesday.
• If not, they'll watch the Yankees win the pennant at Progressive Field.
• For the Guards to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2016, they must win four of the next five games against the Yankees in the best-of-seven series. The Yankees are 6-2 against the Guards this year: 2-0 in the ALCS and 4-2 in the regular season.

The Guardians held optional training on Wednesday. They did this in the cold and under an October sky that looked like someone had taken a bat to the ribcage.

A big league practice looks like any other. It may take place in February in Goodyear, Arizona, or in October at Progressive Field.

But one has to wonder how many young Guardians are left this season before they go home for the winter.

-This post has been edited to clarify that ALCS Game 3 is on Thursday.