BOSTON — Distinguishing Between Great and Not-So-Great Pitchers

Gerrit Cole is gradually rediscovering his form after Tommy John surgery, but his performance on Saturday highlighted both the highs and lows typical of a comeback.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, by the time the former Cy Young Award winner started to get back to his usual self, he had already put his team in a difficult position that they couldn’t rally from.

Still, Cole felt a sense of optimism after observing improvements over the last three innings, especially when compared to a shaky start that lasted 2 1/3 innings, leading to a 4-1 defeat against the Red Sox.

“As the game progressed, I became more aggressive,” Cole remarked.

Both Cole and manager Aaron Boone noted that he shifted gears in the latter half of the game, becoming more assertive after noting the cautious approach he took early on seemed to hold him back.

The early results were telling.

In the initial two innings, solo home runs were hit by Masanao Yoshida and Anthony Seigler. Following that, Cole allowed a two-run double to Wilson Contreras after Yoshida and Sedan Rafaela set him up with a couple of triples.

Despite the rough start, Cole found his rhythm and managed to retire nine of the next eleven batters. This shift ultimately didn’t save the Yankees from their third consecutive loss. However, as Austin Wells mentioned, it might just give Cole the momentum he needs for the next game.

“I made an effort to free myself,” Cole explained. “You have to attack and not overthink where the pitch lands.”

Of course, not all pitchers can afford to adopt that mindset without risking serious trouble.

The sluggish Yankees offense cannot tolerate inconsistent starts from their ace. Yet, they remain hopeful that Cole will find his best form as the season progresses, and it won’t be until June when he gets a consistent seven starts post-surgery.

In his outings against the Red Sox, Cole has given up four runs in 5¹/³ innings and nine runs in 9¹/₃ innings over his last two appearances.

Boston may not have been the best place for him to gain confidence, considering it’s been a challenging venue for him throughout his career.

Among stadiums where he has pitched three or more times, Fenway Park boasts Cole’s highest ERA (5.52) and WHIP (1.409), along with an opponent OPS of .864.

Saturday’s game followed a familiar pattern.

Home runs to Yoshida and Seigler, along with the double by Contreras, all came from fastballs, and Cole’s pitch count was lower than normal. After yielding that double, he struck out the next two batters and allowed merely two singles.

“Now that the surgery is behind him, he’s gradually starting to feel like himself again,” Wells commented. “He’s gradually shedding the burden. In the final innings, he pitched more freely, allowing him to build momentum for future outings.”