Inside The Pinstripes

Doomed By Crooked Number, Gerrit Cole Can't Halt Yankees Skid

Gerrit Cole allowed four runs on five hits in a 5-2 loss, the Yankees' sixth loss in their last seven games.

Max Goodman

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NEW YORK — The Yankees desperately needed their ace to dominate on Saturday afternoon, working as a stopper to halt this miserable stretch. For the first four innings at Yankee Stadium, Gerrit Cole looked the part.

New York's right-hander shoved four no-hit innings, mowing the Blue Jays down while only allowing a few batters to reach.

So when Cole began the top of the fifth with a strikeout, dotting a 98.2-mph fastball on the outside corner to Matt Chapman, no-hitter watch in the Bronx was officially on.

That buzz quickly vanished, transitioning into a barrage of boos as Cole allowed four runs to score before recording another out. Those boos persisted until the final out in a 5-2 loss, New York's 14th in 17 games since the trade deadline.

After a double and a walk, Toronto's No. 9 hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. put the Blue Jays in front with a two-run double off the wall in the left-field corner. Three batters later, Alejandro Kirk connected on another two-base hit, this one into left-center field with the bases loaded. New York was able to cut one run down at the plate on the play, but two runs had already scored, giving Toronto a 4-1 lead.

Cole finished the afternoon with four earned runs allowed on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts over six frames. Other than right-hander Albert Abreu (who gave up a home run to Chapman in the top of the ninth), the bullpen did its job behind Cole as well.

Estevan Florial's RBI single to the opposite field gave the Yankees a lead in the second, the first time in a week (since August 12) that New York scored first in a game. Then, Gleyber Torres cut his squad's deficit to two with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, his 18th of the year. 

That was the extent of the Yankees' offensive output on Saturday, though. They struck out 11 times, leaving nine runners on base while recording one hit in eight tries with runners in scoring position. It was another lethargic and lifeless performance, making Toronto's early lead—courtesy of Cole's crooked number—feel insurmountable.

With yet another loss, the Yankees have now dropped six of their last seven. They're now 9-20 since the All-Star break, free falling and watching helplessly as their lead in the American League East continues to shrink. Toronto is now just seven games back in the division. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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