ANAHEIM, California. – Gerrit Cole proved to be the perfect antidote to a four-game losing streak.
In order to avoid opening September in the same way that they ended the month of August, the Yankees headed to Cole, throwing themselves into the park of their hometown for the first time as a Yankee, and l ‘ace lived up to expectations by winning 4-1 at the Angels.
It allowed the Yankees to end a long road trip with a win as they headed into a day off Thursday before a 20-game stretch in 20 days in the Bronx began on Friday.
“We knew we needed that win and Gerrit came out a lot for us,” receiver Kyle Higashioka said.
Cole set a season-high 15 and gave up a single run in four hits, without a walk, in a seven-inning and 116-throw start.
He had a devastating fast ball and was able to use his four throws effectively.
And the offense, caused by Luke Voit and Aaron Judge, did the rest, as the Yankees won for the first time since their 13-win streak ended in Oakland over the weekend.
Voit had a two-and-two single to give the Yankees an advantage in the third and the judge added insurance with his 30th homer of the season in the eighth before Jonathan Loaisiga and Aroldis Chapman finished him off.
Since coming off the COVID-19 injury list, Cole has been excellent and this trend continued on Tuesday at Angel Stadium, where he grew up going to games.
The right-hander crossed the first five minutes before hitting the lone blow on the road in the sixth.
Cole ceded a single lead to Jack Mayfield, followed by an RBI double in center by David Fletcher to reduce the Yankees’ lead to 3-1.
With Fletcher in second place, Cole got Shohei Ohtani swaying for the third time in a row for the first outing.
He then eliminated Phil Gosselin and Jared Walsh to preserve the two-run lead.
The key to escaping the jam was to get Ohtani, which Cole said allowed him to throw the rest of the entry more “freely”.
“He’s probably the most exciting player in the game right now,” Higashioka said of Ohtani, who didn’t pitch in the series due to an injured hand. “Gerrit lived up to the opportunity, brought his best stuff and did what we all know he can do.”
Even on 101 pitches, Cole trotted out to start the bottom of the seventh and withdrew the side in order, adding twice more to the total.
“I thought we were playing well overall today,” coach Aaron Boone said. “But many times, the initial pitcher has a lot to do with it. It was a good solid victory. “
Voit gave the Yankees an advantage in the third. After left-back Packy Naughton withdrew the first two hitters of the round, DJ LeMahieu walked and Anthony Rizzo passed first base before the judge’s walk loaded Voit’s bases, who entered the game in a 2-on-17 routine with eight attacks.
He delivered a single in the middle to drive in two races.
Voit was punched in the rib by a throw from Andrew Wantz in the fifth, but stayed in the game.
The Yankees added another tie to the fourth.
Rougned Odor got a hit with an outside, passed to second on a Andrew Velazquez base and scored on Brett Gardner’s single in the middle to make it 3-0.
And the judge gave the Yankees ’bullpen a little more breathing space with a solo shot in the eighth, his 30th of the season, continuing his torrid career.
Loaisiga threw an eighth scorer before Chapman finished it off with an excellent performance in the ninth, as he recovers closer to the form he had at the start of the season.
Higashioka said Chapman was as good on Wednesday as he was at any time during the first half. But the tone was set by Cole, who the judge said provided “complete domination.”
“We needed this from our ace after the last couple games and after so long [winning] streak, “the judge said.” I felt like I was in control of the whole game. “