October baseball carries a distinct, rarefied atmosphere. Managerial decisions that are easily forgotten in June become enduring. Roles that are well defined in July are scrapped in service of the here and now. And crowds that might have one eye on the action in August are hanging on every pitch.
Tossed into that crucible, players sometimes react differently than they would under the languid rhythms of the summer.
So it was on Monday night, but not for the young Yankees. Rather it was the hardened Cleveland Indians, who showed their mettle last year in reaching Game 7 of the World Series, who played with jangled nerves.