The New York Yankees should have had a needed day off yesterday but instead had a makeup game with the Los Angeles last night. It was also the return of Gerrit Cole, the Yankee’s ace from the Covid list. At the end of the night, the Yankees and Cole won the game 2-1 going into a 3 game series with the Red Sox today.
After the first inning, the game was mostly a pitcher’s duel with Angels pitcher Jose Suarez matching Cole nearly pitch for pitch. There was only a total of 8 hits between the two teams. Only Aaron Judge had two hits in the game and scored once on Joey Gallo’s homer in the first inning.
Gerrit Cole is still the Yankee ace
After making his return from a bout on the Covid list, Gerrit Cole wanted to put Yankee fans on notice that he is still the ace of the New York Yankees pitching staff. Last night he showed the Yankees that he hasn’t missed a beat. He pitched into the sixth inning, allowing one home run while striking out 9 Angel hitters.
Cole’s last game for the Yankees was on July 29th when he stuck out 10. Going into last night’s game, few thought after the long layoff with the coronavirus that Cole might not go more than 60 pitches in his first game back, but he threw that many strikes in his 90 pitch night. Fletcher popped out to short. Upton reached on a bobbled play by Odor at third in the sixth inning, and Aaron Boone felt that was enough for Cole. In the first, Cole got his 11th win of the season, aided by Joey Gallo’s 112 mph two-run homer.
Yankees marvelous bullpen shines
In the sixth inning, with one more out to get, Gerrit Cole’s night was over. In a gutsy move, Boone called in Zack Britton, who had removed himself from a closer role after pitching so badly. Britton did his job and struck out Jared Walsh to end the inning scoreless. Albert Abreu was next pitching 1.2 innings of hitless ball. But when Shohei Ohtani came to the plate, Boone chose the young Joely Rodriguez to face the Angels MVP. J-Rod did nothing less than strike him out on four pitches for his 11th hold of the season.
Chad Green came in in the top of the ninth to secure the win for the New York Yankees. He allowed a hit, got a ground ball out, and stuck out two in the effort that won the game for the Yankees and gave him his fourth save of the season. Manager Aaron Boone has to be given credit for how he has handled the bullpen recently.
Joey Gallo getting the Yankee love
For Yankee fans, it’s been a long time since we heard that call “Derek Jeter” Derek Jeter echo through the crowds. But, last night, we heard a new chant, that of “Joey Gallo-Joey Gallo” when Gallo was at the plate in the third inning. It appears the Yankee faithful have accepted Gallo and wanted to show him some love after hitting a two-run homer in the first inning, supplying the Yankees with their only two runs of the game.
It should be noted that Joey Gallo strikes out a lot, an awful lot. But, if he can hit a homer in every four games the Yankees will gladly accept that. So far in his short time with the Yankees, he has already had a two-homer night.
The Yankees start a 3 game series with the Red Sox today!
Today will see another day-night doubleheader for the Yankees as they face their rival Boston Red Sox. It will also mark the return from the Covid list for Jordan Montgomery. The first game at 1:05 pm will feature Tanner Houck for the Red Sox facing Montgomery. The 7:05 pm installment will have Yankee sensation prospect Luis Gil on the mound facing the Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi.
The day game will be telecast on the YES Network, NESN, and MLBN out of market. The night game will be on WPIX and its affiliates, NESN, and MLBN out of market.