Gerrit Cole toughs it out for a strong performance in Yankees’ big victory

Yankees Ace Shines in Dominant Victory

The Yankees got what they hoped for from their ace on Tuesday night. Gerrit Cole delivered a strong performance, allowing the Yankees to crush the White Sox 12-2 in the Bronx.

While Andrew Benintendi’s home run in the first inning was a minor concern for Cole, he quickly settled in. After giving up another run in the sixth, Cole retired the next 13 batters—though he did load the bases before the inning ended.

He managed to strike out Braden Montgomery to wrap up the sixth cleanly, which seemed to please manager Aaron Boone. “He was able to pitch under the gun and get out of the sixth inning. I think it was a great way to end it for him,” Boone commented post-game.

Cole, 35, threw six innings, giving up three hits, two earned runs, and two walks while racking up six strikeouts.

He threw 90 pitches, with 59 going for strikes. “I thought my command got a little bit better as the game went on,” Cole reflected. “Even after losing the lead, I didn’t lose the opponent’s balance and I thought I stayed in the strike zone. I didn’t make too many mistakes, but I felt like I got out of the zone with the walk in the last inning.”

This outing was a welcome rebound for Cole, especially after two previous performances that fell short. Just before Tuesday, he had given up a total of six earned runs, 11 hits, and three walks over his last two games, along with only six strikeouts.

In his last outing against the Guardians, Cole mentioned he was “in survival mode,” struggling with the humidity which left him feeling completely spent.

“I thought he threw the ball well; he was aggressive early on…” Boone said, praising Cole’s ability to handle a tough lineup. “I thought he did a really good job tonight of setting the tone against some hard-hitting clubs that can do some damage.”

Since returning from Tommy John surgery, Cole has now made five starts, holding a solid 2.57 ERA for the season. “I’m feeling pretty good. I was able to get some length and continue to get more pitches,” he stated. “I just want to continue to improve while playing the game.”