The New York Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday evening. With starting pitcher Gerrit Cole on the mound, the Yankees were in better hands, as he lasted 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and just one run.
More impressively, Cole tossed 116 pitches, striking out 15 batters. Racking up a season-high in the category, he pitched an absolute gem to help the Yankees extract a victory and change their momentum. He currently holds a 2.73 ERA on the season, and thanks to a few small ball runs in earlier innings, the Bombers headed into the eighth with a two-run lead. Slugger Aaron Judge decided to give them a bit more cushion, launching his 30th home run of the season and elevating his average to .299.
Cole, who pitched the final game of the winning streak before the Yankees embarked on a four-game losing streak, did his team a major favor on Monday. Cole didn’t walk a single batter after driving his first ever car to the stadium in Los Angeles — a 2006 Toyota, and given he just signed a $324 million contract, Cole could’ve bought 500 of those cars without blinking an eye.
“I was just sitting out there in the outfield, (thinking), ‘Thank goodness he’s wearing his away jersey right now and not a white-and-red jersey,'” the slugger said with a smile. “He’s that good. He’s a guy that can change a team, change a franchise, and we’re just happy to have him.”
Whether it was a bit of nostalgia that spurred one of his most dominant performances since putting on the pinstripes or just his natural desire to win games, the Yankees are clearly happy they made him one of the highest-paid players in baseball.
With Judge also looking like one of the best sluggers in the game, his payday will likely be coming sooner rather than later. Staying healthy has always been his kryptonite, but when on the field consistently, he is a dependable hitter that can be the difference between winning and losing. In fact, Judge has reached base in 22 of his last 23 games, including multiple hits in eight of his last nine contests.