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Yankees’ Gerrit Cole reveals unique reaction to return vs. Rays
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- Yankees’ Gerrit Cole reveals unique reaction to return vs. Rays
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NEW YORK–They might not have won the game, but Gerrit Cole ’s triumphant return to the mound was a morale boost the New York Yankees needed to see as they opened a three-game set with a 4-2 loss to the first-place Tampa Bay Rays .
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It was the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series that Cole had pitched in an MLB contest. The right-hander delivered six innings of scoreless baseball, struck out two batters, and only surrendered two hits and three walks.
When all was said and done, the former Cy Young winner dropped an honest response when asked how it felt to be back on the hill for the first time in over a year.
“It was lovely,” Cole said with a smirk.
Gerrit Cole ’s return signals hope for the Yankees
Cole’s arsenal looked sharp. According to Baseball Savant, he generated five whiffs and nearly reached 99 miles per hour with his fastball. Across 72 pitches, he earned 19 called strikes.
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“Really exciting to get him back and have him go out there…,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. “He was on point.”
Austin Wells launched a solo home run off Rays starter Nick Martinez in the bottom of the fifth, but that was not enough to stave off a team that boasts the sport’s second-best batting average and a reputation as one of the game’s peskier groups.
The Rays got runners to second and third in the seventh, but Fernando Cruz struck out Nick Fortes and Taylor Walls to end the frame and preserve the Yankees’ slim lead. One inning later, they put up four runs to pull ahead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. tripled home a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Yankees were unable to make any more noise from there.
“I thought we swung the bats well tonight,” Boone said. “This was not the last couple of nights where we really struggled…we didn’t have much to show for it, but I was encouraged with what I saw.”
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Tampa Bay has won eight of its last 10 contests and is 5.5 games ahead of New York in the American League East standings. The division is far from decided, but Cole’s presence could prove to be a pivotal component of what allows the Yankees to stay within striking distance as the season goes on.
“It was almost like a second debut,” Cole said. “It was an enjoyable moment, and it was nice to get back in the fire.”
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