Former Yankees' Hurler Praises Ace Gerrit Cole For Dominant Performance

An old friend of the Bronx Bombers had something to say after Cole's dazzling start on Friday.

Sep 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Saying Gerrit Cole was brilliant on Friday night would be an understatement.

The ace of the New York Yankees gave everything he had against the Oakland Athletics, needing just 99 pitches to throw nine innings while allowing just one run and two hits. Although he wouldn't pitch the 10th inning for a complete game, the Yankees still got him the win in a 4-2 extra-innings triumph.

Cole's start was the first time one of the Bronx Bombers' starting pitchers would take the hill in the ninth inning, easily making it one of the best starting pitching performances by a Yankee all season.

Naturally, there was plenty of praise given to the reigning AL Cy Young winner. However, one player in particular was emphatic in giving Cole his well-deserved flowers.

In Saturday's early hours, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon took to X and called out fans who had previously criticized Cole's previous performance against the Boston Red Sox on September 14.

"A lot of people had BAD bad bad opinions on Gerrit Cole over the last week! The dude deserves respect. He goes out and goes 9..." Taillon said, ending his statement with the "shhh" emoji.

A lot of people had BAD bad bad opinions on Gerrit Cole over the last week! The dude deserves respect.He goes out and goes 9…. 🤫

— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) September 21, 2024

Yankee fans immediately showed their love for Taillon in the comment section, as the righty had already established himself as a crowd favorite. The 32-year-old pitched for the Bronx Bombers in 2021 and 2022 before departing for Chicago, and enjoyed a fair amount of success with a 22-11 record, a 4.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 4.3 fWAR. Although not an overpowering hurler, Taillon's ability to pitch out of tough situations and his timely performances against strong opponents endeared him to the fanbase.

As for his relationship with Cole, Taillon has maintained an extremely close friendship with the Yankee ace throughout his career; not only did they play together in the Bronx, but they were also teammates on the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016 and 2017. Cole would depart for the Houston Astros after 2017, but the two right-handers remained friends in the years before reuniting. Even with Taillon no longer on the Yankees, his statement after Cole's masterpiece clearly shows their still-strong comradery.

It has been a somewhat tough season for Cole, who missed the first two months of the year due to UCL issues and dealt with consistency issues upon his return. Fortunately, he knows one of his former teammates and best friends still has his back.