After finishing the night’s game after throwing 62 pitches, he received a standing ovation and high-fives from his teammates in the dugout.
Manager Aaron Boone has seen enough, and Yankees fans have seen enough, to imagine what October could be like if Gerrit Cole returns to form.
His Cy Young Award winning form, or close to it unless his elbow hurts.
One big relief this night.
The ace performed well in his 2024 debut.
“I had good control for the most part,” Cole said. “I made good pitches when I needed to make good pitches.”
Cedric Mullins’ leadoff single in the fifth sealed his fate. It was the first hit Cole (one walk, five strikeouts) allowed after a shaky first inning. Ron Marinaccio gave up a two-run homer to Ramon Urias, briefly making Cole the pitcher with the most innings on record.
But his teammates supported him and didn’t let him be the loser on a night when Aaron Judge had to watch as Clay Holmes gave up two runs in the 10th inning in a 7-6 Orioles win.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4. Alex Verdugo made a backhanded catch of Anthony Santander’s slugger against the center field wall with the bases loaded in the ninth to tie the score at 5-4. Stanton scored Anthony Volpe with a single off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth to make it 5-5. Then, following Judge’s threat, two Orioles were hit.
Coach Aaron Boone was hoping Cole could contain the inevitable adrenaline that comes with making his season debut.
Manager Boone sensed Cole was tiring by the end of the fourth inning and wasn’t willing to let him throw more than 65 pitches.
“I think he got better as he went along,” Boone said.
Cole’s first step was the only problem.
“It was a special game for me,” Cole said. “It’s been a long, emotional couple months. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel out there. Knowing where the ball is always makes it a little less nerve-wracking.”
Gunnar Henderson led off the first inning with a double off the glove of Gleyber Torres, then Ryan O’Hearn smashed an 0-2 slider into left field for an RBI double and homered.
Cole held out his glove in congratulations after shortstop Volpe shoved a sharp, one-bounce ball down the back of his pants, rose to his feet and hit a one-bounce ball to first baseman Ben Rice back to Urias to end the second inning.
Cole struck out three batters in a row in the third inning. He led off with a 92 mph cutter, struck out Jorge Mateo, then got Adley Rutschman out with a 3-2 knuckle curve with Henderson on second base. He got a strikeout with a 3-1 changeup and then got Ryan Mountcastle out with a slider.
“I missed every single throw,” Cole said.
Boone brought Marinaccio to the bullpen for the fourth inning, after Cole struck out Santander with a 95 mph four-seam fastball in the zone and Colton Cowser with a 96 mph four-seam fastball.
“He’s one of those guys you have to watch on TV every time he starts,” Verdugo said.
That’s always the case with Cy Young Award winners at the peak of their careers.
