KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gerrit Cole is pitching like an ace again and the Yankees are back in the ALCS.
But he didn't do it without a bit of drama, allowing a long fly ball to the right-field fence from Kyle Isbell with two outs in the seventh inning and just feet away from a game-tying home run at Kauffman Stadium.
Juan Soto was successful in getting out of the inning, and the Yankees earned a 3-1 series final victory over Kansas City in Game 4 of the ALDS.
Aaron Boone admitted his “heart was pounding” when Isbell crashed into the fence.
After the game, Cole screamed as he walked toward the dugout.
“I was motivated,” Cole said.
He had a reason to be that way.
Cole allowed only one run on six hits and no walks, with four strikeouts in seven innings.
Cole started the season on the disabled list after being sidelined with elbow inflammation in March, and now he and the Yankees are one step away from making it to the World Series.
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Cole still isn't approaching the consistent dominance he showed a year ago when the 34-year-old ran away with the AL Cy Young Award, but he's moving closer to being the leader of the rotation and the Yankees need to keep it that way. That would be necessary. I accept.
“This is the best time of the year,” Cole said. “Last year, I just kept trying to do the right thing as a member of the team. That's the ultimate goal.”
Cole went through the first five-plus innings of Game 4 with no runs and a three-run lead.
That's when the bench briefly sat down after Kansas City's Michael Garcia and shortstop Anthony Volpe collided at second base. Garcia was forced to second base and took exception to Volpe's narrow shot to the neck.
With no outs and two outs, Cole was hit by a single to right field by Bobby Witt Jr., and allowed a scoring double to Vinny Pasquantino, making it a two-run lead and exciting the Kauffman Stadium crowd.
To make matters worse, Salvador Perez stepped up to bat.
However, Cole stiffened up and popped the catcher to second base to end the inning and preserve the lead.
This was part of Cole's strong bounce-back performance. Cole was hit much harder in his Game 1 start, when Cole lasted just over five innings and was lucky to allow four runs and three earned runs.
On Thursday, he retired the first six batters he faced and 12 of the first 13 batters he faced as the Yankees slowly built a 3-0 lead.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Cole said. “We have to keep moving.”
