Popularly known for his dominant pitching and ability to rack up strikeouts, Gerrit Cole has been a key asset for the New York Yankees since joining the team in 2020. He remains the team’s go-to person in times of trouble. Even this season, he started well by not giving up a single homer in his first seven outings and also being the only Yankee to have not faced a defeat in the month of April.
As they say, good things do not last for long. The Yankees ace’s dream run had to end a day, and it ended quickly as the season entered its second month, May. Gerrit Cole has struggled with his command over fastballs in the past five outings, which has soared his ERA to 2.93. While one can argue that it’s still a good number, the Yankees know that it’s way below Cole’s standards. Moreover, the ace’s recent outing has further added to the team’s existing pitching woes.
Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole Is Back To Leaking A Ridiculous Number Of Home Runs
Gerrit Cole, the ace pitcher for the New York Yankees, has recently been experiencing struggles with allowing home runs, raising concerns among fans and the organization. After a strong start to the season, Cole has encountered difficulties in keeping the ball in the park, which has become a cause for worry and scrutiny. The same issue hampered the ace’s 2022 season, wherein he gave away a record number of 33 home runs. This season, they leaked none in the first seven outings and eight in the last five starts. Fans fear that Gerrit is returning back to his 2022 self.
The saga of leaking home runs continued in the ace’s latest outing against the San Diego Padres. In six innings pitched, Gerrit Cole gave away six runs, including two home runs. While he struck out nine hitters in the process, the damage outweighed the achievements. Speaking on his performance, Cole admitted that he lost his command over fastballs as they landed completely on opposite sides of the plate. Moreover, the pitcher claimed that the Padres hitters had studied him well and looked kind of ready for those fastballs. Regardless, Cole’s horrible day out was salvaged by the Yankee’s offense, as they ended up winning the game as well as the series.
Yankees Win Rubber Game Vs. Padres Despite Cole’s Horrible Outing
Gerrit Cole has always been the New York Yankees’ savior. However, since 2022, his form has dipped, which became a nagging headache for the team. Still, the ace started off well this season before eventually succumbing to pressure. In a recent game against the Padres, Cole gave away another set of home runs, with six runs in total. The Yankees were on the verge of losing yet another series when the struggling offense jumped to rescue.
Rise & Shine 👨⚖️ pic.twitter.com/DVWNyduBOW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 28, 2023
The man in red-hot form, Aaron Judge, slammed two runs. Further, in a rare instance this season, the captain received support from the lineup. Harrison Bader and Isiah Kiner-Falefa added two runs each as the Yankees’ lead soared to 10 at the end of eight innings. With that win, the Yankees move up to third place in the American League East Division, two games behind Baltimore Orioles.