gerrit cole

New York Yankees: Preview of the critical Toronto Blue Jay series

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With each game, the New York Yankees lose, each series because more critical that they take that series as they have slipped to fourth place in the AL East, 8 1/2 games behind the league-leading Tampa Bay Rays. So far in the season that is only 16 games away from being halfway completed, the Yankees have been unable to dominate any of its rivals except for the Baltimore Orioles. Starting tomorrow, the Yankees will meet up with the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo. The hard-hitting Blue Jays are another team the Yankees must beat.

The Yankees have been playing very poor baseball in recent games with the hitting, base running, and pitching failing. Manager Boone is getting tired of reporters’ questions about why the team that was supposed to be the team to beat at the beginning of the season is performing so badly.

“We’re going to find out what kind of character we’re made of,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We’re clearly in the midst of incredibly tough times. We’ve faced it throughout this season. And we’re going to find out what we’re made of and what kind of team we are. We need to step it up, period.”

As of this writing, the Blue Jays have not announced any of their starting pitchers for the 3 game series. The Yankees will likely face three of these starters. Hyun Jin Ryu 5-4 ERA 3.34, Steven Matz 7-3 ERA 4.26, Robbie Ray 4-2 ERA 2.45, or Ross Stripling 2-3 4.91.

Tuesday, June 15, 7:07 pm:

Jordan Montgomery will likely face Hyun Jin Ryu. “Monty” is 3-1 with an ERA of 3.99 with 65 strikeouts. He is coming off a no-decision against the Minnesota Twins. He allowed three runs in the game and went 5 1/3 innings. He last faced the Blue Jays on May 27th. He allowed three runs in that no-decision game, going 4 2/3 innings. The New York Yankees have won 9 of Montgomery’s 12 starts this season.

Wednesday, June 16, 7:07 pm:

The Yankees will have their best chance of winning a game in this series on Wednesday when the Yankees have their ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. Even if the conversation ahead of his last outing on June 9th was him allegedly using grip enchancers, Cole showed showed the baseball world his stuff. He struck out the accuser Josh Donaldson twice in the game. He struck out nine allowing only two hits. Going into this fourth start against the Jays he is 7-3 and ERA of 2.31 and an amazing 113 strikeouts.

Thursday, June 17th, 7:07 pm:

Michael King will start the last game of the series against the Blue Jays. He is 0-3 with an ERA of 3.77 and still looking for his first win after being called up to replace the ailing Corey Kluber. So far he has gotten two losses allowing 8 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, and the Boston Red Sox. It should be noted that he got no run support in those losses. All three games will be televised on SNET in Canada and the YES Network, Thursday game will also be on MLBN out of market.

Yankees: Jameson Taillon defends Cole’s sticky situation

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, jameson taillon

The Yankees pitching has been very reliable for New York this year. With up and down offensive performances, having a strong rotation and bullpen has been very important. They’ve been one of the most dominant pitching groups in baseball. A big reason for that is the presence of Gerrit Cole.

Gerrit Cole has been everything the Yankees could’ve imagined since signing him in 2019. This year specifically, he’s been putting up CY Young numbers. Recently, he’s been shaky. However, a great performance against the Twins on Wednesday put him back on track. 

It was especially encouraging to see Cole perform well with all the pressure from the media. Twins’ Josh Donaldson outed Cole as a possible foreign substance user. That made this matchup gain nationwide attention. Cole finished pitching six innings with only two runs allowed and punched out nine. Donaldson went 0-3 with two strikeouts against Cole. It was a great response from the Yankees’ ace.

Before the Twins’ dumbfounding comeback win last night, Jameson Taillon made comments regarding Cole and the situation. Taillon and Cole have a great relationship dating back to their days with the Pirates. They’ve become good friends throughout their careers.

Taillon started by saying that if the MLB is actually “taking things seriously,” (regarding illegal substances) then he’s “really excited” about it. He thinks “eliminating” the sticky stuff will help them as a group. Saying that he really wants the MLB to go clean and “level” the playing field. 

Regarding Gerrit Cole specifically, Taillon stated that “as a friend” it was tough to see. But he was “happy” Cole went out there on Wednesday and had a great start. He said he “doesn’t think sticky stuff is what makes Gerrit Cole, Gerrit Cole.” Taillon said he’s watched Cole throw bullpens and prepare for starts and thinks he will be the same if not better after this. Saying that this “might’ve” lit a fire under Cole.

Throughout the entire press conference, Taillon was very transparent about the situation. He gave some really good insight into the problem as a whole. Taillon seemed very confident that the Yankees would only improve from this being enforced more. It didn’t seem like he thought this would be a problem for any Yankee pitchers. 

After a very rough ending to a three-game set in Minnesota, the Yankees will travel to Philadelphia. Tune in as Taillon starts things off against the Phillies tomorrow evening!

New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole, did he or didn’t he use sticky stuff?

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yankees, gerrit cole

The New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has now been named again regarding using sticky substances to improve his pitching.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is one of several star pitchers named in a lawsuit for using illegal ball-doctoring substances provided by a former visiting Angels clubhouse manager, per an article in Sports Illustrated.

Brain “Bubba” Harkins was fired in March of 2020 by the Los Angeles Angels after an investigation stated that he had been helping pitchers with the use of illegal ball-gripping substances. In January of this year, he filed a lawsuit against MLB and the Angels. The filing follows an attempt by the Angels and MLB to dismiss Harkins’ previous motion claiming defamation.

Harkins named multiple pitchers in his lawsuit that apparently used his “concoctions” to increase the ability to improve grip on the baseball when pitching. Among those mentioned were Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Max Scherzer, and the Yankee’s Corey Kluber and Gerrit Cole. In addition, several Angels pitchers were also named.

Now before the first game of the present Minnesota series at Target Field, the normally outspoken Josh Donaldson was having a public conversation on the use of illegal substances and went out of his way to single out Gerrit Cole. This amid an MLB crackdown on the use of foreign substances by pitchers.

When the New York Yankees arrived at Target Field, there was a video conference about the 3 game set with the Yankees. Gerrit Cole responding to reporter questions as to if he ever used Spider Tack (a particularly sticky paste to improve grip), Cole stumbled in answering. This is how he responded:

“I don’t know….. I don’t know….. I don’t quite know how to answer that, to be honest.” That was followed by a long pause and he continued: “There are customs and practices that have been passed down from older players to younger players, from the last generation of players to this generation of players, and I think there are some things that are certainly out of bounds in that regard.

“This is important to a lot of people who love the game, including the players in this room, including fans, including teams, so if MLB wants to legislate some more stuff, that’s a conversation that we can have. Because ultimately we should all be pulling in the same direction on this.”

After those comments, New York Yankees fans don’t know any more than they did before the comments. It is reasonable to assume that Cole, like many other pitchers, uses some substances at times to improve their pitching. Whether those substances are legal or not is a discussion to have with MLB.

Over the weekend, Buster Olney of ESPN reported that pitchers would be checked repeatedly and randomly by umpires for illegal substances under a new program being advanced by MLB.

In third baseman Donaldson’s wandering comments in which he mentioned Cole, he stated that Cole’s spin rate reduced dramatically after four minor league pitchers were suspended for using foreign substances. Donaldson suggested that Cole’s pitches weren’t rotating as much and that Cole was suddenly trying to hide his use of sticky substances to avoid being caught in the crackdown.

Sidestepping the accusation on Tuesday, and said: “My spin rate dropoff was due to mechanical flaws. I attribute it to just not being as good or as sharp as I wanted to be. It’s as simple as that,” Cole said. The Baseball Savant website stated the MLB Statcast data showed that Cole had a 125 rotations per minute decrease last week when he allowed five runs to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“I’m just not quite bringing out my best delivery. Of course it’s something that we monitor. Of course there are other variables that we monitor as well when we’re evaluating our performance from every game. You try to take as much information as you can as a player, and certainly that’s one of them,” Cole said. “We’re trying to get better this week and put in the work, and I’ll be as prepared as I possibly can for my next start.”

Last night before the game, Cole had nothing to say about Donaldson, but he let his pitching speak for itself. One would have to believe Cole, with the accusations, certainly would not have been using anything illegal. In three plate appearances against Cole, Donaldson flew out and struck out twice, with Cole glaring in at him with each strikeout.

If this story develops further, you will read about it on EmpireSportsMedia.com. Their Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He can be followed on Twitter @parleewilliam.

Yankees: No ‘sticky stuff’ talk could stop Gerrit Cole’s domination of the Twins

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

Last night marked the first time that New York Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole faced Josh Donaldson since the Minnesota Twins’ third baseman wondered whether or not the Bombers’ starter was using substances to aid his grip and increase the spin rate of his pitches.

It did not go well for Donaldson, who produced outs in the three at-bats he had against Cole in yesterday’s game, which the Yankees took 9-6 in Target Field.

Cole said the change was because of a mechanical flaw, and accused Donaldson of making ‘low-hanging fruit’ comments.

Cole was asked on Tuesday, according to MLB.com, if he had ever used Spider Tack, a specific product.

“I hesitated on the specificity of the question because I just don’t think it’s the forum to discuss those kinds of things,” Cole said after Wednesday’s game. “There’s an appropriate time for players to discuss those things, and we’ll keep it to that forum.”

Yankees’ teammates are going to bat for Cole

Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ best player, defended Cole and said he doesn’t like the spotlight being on Cole and only on him specifically.

“I really don’t like it. I feel like 95% of the guys I’ve faced in the league have something going on,” Judge said. “It’s kind of one of those rules that I feel like hasn’t really been enforced or defined. We’ve all got a job to do; Cole’s got a job to do. Me as a hitter, I’ve got to step in the box no matter what’s going on or what people are using.”

Cole put all comments aside and threw another masterpiece, striking out nine Twins in six innings of only two runs to lead the Yankees’ victory.

His fastball spin rate was down in his last start vs. Tampa, to an average of 2,436 rpm. It was 2,493 yesterday against the Twins, closer to his 2,534 average of 2019-20.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from home run powered win

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Last night in Minnesota, the New York Yankees entered a second game against the twins after taking game one 8-4. They hoped with Yankee ace Gerrit Cole on the mound; they could take the series from the Twins. At the end of the night, they got the 9-6 win, but it wasn’t always pretty. The Yankees hit four home runs in the game.

Cole made a statement while under allegations

New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole took the mound in Minneapolis last night after being accused of using stick stuff to aid his spin rate and get out more batters. The allegations came from the Twins’ own Josh Donaldson, who talked about pitchers using pitching aids and particularly named Cole in that conversation.

Cole let his pitching do the speaking for him. When Donaldson came up second in the lineup, Cole swiftly struck him out. Donaldson struck out for the second time against Cole. In the sixth inning, still facing Cole, Donaldson flew out to right field. Although Cole said nothing but the obvious stare in at Donaldson each time he stuck out spoke volumes. Donaldson ended up the night going 0 for 5.

Cole seemed more comfortable on the mound last night. He went six innings using 94 pitches, 66 of them strikes. He gave up five hits, two earned runs, striking out 9 Twins hitters, and walking no one.

The win wasn’t the prettiest this season, even though they scored 9 runs. The usually solid Yankee bullpen again faltered in the game. However, Luis Cessa did his job pitching two scoreless innings in relief of Gerrit Cole. With the Yankees ahead 9 to 2 in the ninth, Brooks Kriske took over for Cessa and allowed four earned runs to finish off the game.

Yankee hitting comes alive big time

The Yankee hitting that has often been lacking in most games came alive for the second night in a row. The Yankees got 15 hits in the game, four of them home runs. It was the first time this season that the Yankees got double-digit hits three games in a row.

Giancarlo Stanton was last night’s MVP hitting two long balls in the game. Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar also homered in the game. It was the tenth time that both Stanton and Judge homered in the same game. Stanton and Judge also doubled in the game. Brett Gardner and Rougie Odor also had extra-base hits. Meanwhile, DJ LeMahieu had another unproductive night going 0 for 4.

Giancarlo Stanton heating up again

At the beginning of the season, the hottest hitter was Giancarlo Stanton; then, he injured his quad. He was out for 13 games. Upon his return, it appeared that Stanton had lost his timing. Manager Aaron Boone was easing him back into the lineup, causing him to miss every other game.

But, now in his last two games in a row, it seems his magic is back. He had two hits on Tuesday and exploded last night with two home runs and a single driving in five runs. It speaks well of the Yankee hitting when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are together. Even with his time in the IL, Stanton has a .267 batting average with 11 home runs and 29 driving in.

 

New York Yankees Recap: Home runs power the Yankees to second win over the Twins

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Tonight after a slight rain delay, the New York Yankees started game two of a 3 game series with the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees won the first game 8-4. The Yankee ace Gerrit Cole faced Randy Dobnak, with Donaldson making accusations the Gerrit Cole uses illegal substances. The final score was the Yankees 9 and the Twins 6.

In the first inning, DJ LeMahieu slowly ground out to short. Aaron Judge hit a homer, his 15th of the season, into the left-field stands. Gleyber Torres chopped out to third. Giancarlo Stanton cruised into second with a hit down the left-field line that went to the wall. Urshela ground out, but the Yankees went ahead in the game. At the bottom, Jorge Polanco led off, grounding out to second. Josh Donaldson struck out against Cole. Trevor Larnach singled over the head of Odor. Nelson Cruz struck out. New York Yankees 1 Twins 0.

In the second, Rougie Odor led off by grounding to short. Miguel Andujar popped to short. Kyle Higashioka that has been sliding lately, singled to left field. Brett Gardner doubled to left, scoring Higashioka for the two-run lead. LeMahieu was retired at first. At the bottom, Ryan Jeffers led off and was called out on strikes. Kirilloff singled. Sano popped out, and Simmons struck out. Yankees 1 Twins 0.

Aaron Judge led off the second by doubling into the stands. Torres walked out. Stanton hit a 3 run homer to left field for the Yankee 5 runs lead. Urshela walked, and Odor flew out to center for the first out. Andujar flew out to left. Higashioka ground out, but it was the 10th time in the season that Judge and Stanton homered in the same game. At the bottom, Gilberto Celestino ground out to short Polanco had a solo homer to right. Donaldson struck out for the second time against Cole. Larnach also struck out. Yankees 5 Twins 1.

Brett Gardner led off the fourth inning by singling to right for his second hit. LeMahieu flew out to right, and Gardner was doubled up for the second out. Judge with a homer and a double ground out to third base. Nelson Cruz led off the bottom by popping out to short. Jeffers popped out to first base. Kirilloff flew out to Gardner. Yankees 5 Twins 1.

Gleyber Torres led off the fifth, and he worked a walk. Stanton hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to center. Urshela singled to center. Odor hit into a double play. Andujar hit a home run for his 5th in just eight games. Higashioka singled, and that would finally do it for Dobnak. Gardner faced Griffin Jax and popped out to second. At the bottom, Sano faced Cole and homered. Simmons flew out to Andujar. Celestino flew out to Gardner. Polanco struck out to end the inning. New York Yankees 8 Twins 2.

At the top of the sixth, LeMahieu flew out. Judge ground out, and Torres flew out to center for the Yankees going down 1-2-3 for the first time. The bottom of the sixth was led off with Donaldson facing Cole for the third time; he flew out to right. Larnach struck out for Cole’s 8th strikeout of the game. Cruz singled to center. Jeffers struck out for number 9 on the night. Yankees 8 Twins 2.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the seventh after two home runs, and he popped out to foul territory in right. Urshela singled to left for his second hit of the night. Odor doubled down the right-field line moving Urshela to third. Andujar sac flew to left center, and Urshela scored. Higashioka popped out, but the Yankees tacked on another run. Luis Cessa at the bottom replaced Cole; he faced Kirilloff, who ground out to first. Sano singled in front of Gardner. Simmons lined to center for a single. Celestino ground to third. Polanco went down swinging to end the inning. New York Yankees 9 Twins 2.

Brett Gardner led the top of the eighth that doubled for a three-hit night and a second double. Chris Gittens in for LeMahieu, and he struck out looking. Clint Frazier in for Aaron Judge went down swinging. Torres hit to the warning track but was out to end the half. At the bottom, Donaldson, this time against Cessa, singled off the glove of Wade at third. Trevor Larnach hit into a fielder’s choice. Cruz hit into an inning-ending double play.

At the top of the ninth inning, the Yankees experienced a clean inning, but n  the bottom, the Twins tried to make a game of it, scoring four runs in the half against Yankee reliever Brooks Kriske. The final score was the New York Yankees 9 and the Minnesota Twins 6. The winning pitcher was Gerrit Cole, and the loser Randy Dobnak.

 

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from the Yankees huge win over the Twins

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

The New York Yankees went into last night’s game in Minnesota after losing four straight games against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red with the hope of turning it around with Jordan Montgomery on the mound at Target Field. Instead, after being nearly dead for days, the Yankees lineup exploded, scoring eight runs. The final score was the Yankees 8 and the Twins 4.

Montgomery kept the Yankees in the game

Jordan Montgomery has had a strange season so far this year. He often seems to struggle, and more often than not, he doesn’t get the decision in a game. Last night was no different, he went 5.2 innings, but Jonathan Loaisiga got the win. However, so far, he is the Yankees’ second most successful pitcher. The New York Yankees have won 9 of his 12 starts.

Last night in the bottom of the first, Kyle Garlick led off, and he struck out. Josh Donaldson lined to third, Urshela knocked it down but couldn’t make the play. Polanco skied to Gardner. Miguel Sano singled to right, moving Donaldson to third. Ryan Jeffers lined down the left-field line for a two-run lead in the game. Trevor Larnach struck out, but the Twins took the lead Minnesota Twins 2 the New York Yankees 0.

The score remained that way through the end of the fifth inning as Montgomery settled in. But in the sixth, with two outs, ex-Yankee Rob Refsynder came to the plate, drawing a mound visit from Aaron Boone, but Boone left Montgomery in, and Refsynder hit a home to run into the left-field stands, and that was the end of the night for Montgomery.

Yankee hitters erupt, but all is not good

The New York Yankees will take a win any way they can get it. Last night they got it with an eruption from the Yankee lineup that has been so quiet in recent games and through most of the season so far. As a result, the Yankees are at the very bottom of baseball, scoring only 11.6% of the time. This is the lowest figure since the 1969 expansion San Diego Padres.

The Yankees are certainly happy to score those eight runs, but some of the things they have suffered from all season were present last night as well. At one point, the opposing pitcher Michael Pineda put down eleven straight Yankees. Then, in the fifth inning last night, the Yankees loaded the bases with no outs and could bring in only one run when Aaron Judge walked. They also went 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position. So although they scored a lot of runs, they could have scored many more with more timely hitting.

The good news is that two of the struggling Yankee hitters had home runs last night. Gary Sanchez led the charge with a 449′ dinger to left, and Miguel Andujar followed with a home run of his own. This could signal that the two players are getting hot. Another good sign is that the underperforming DJ LeMahieu doubled in the game for the first extra-base hit for last year’s batting champ.

Sticky situation for Gerrit Cole again

Here we go again. Gerrit Cole has again been criticized for using sticky substances to increase the spin rate. Going into a 3 game series with the Minnesota Twins, Twins Josh Donaldson has suggested that Cole is suspect with sticky stuff. He cited how Cole’s spin rate dropped considerably after an AP story stated that four minor leaguers were suspended for using foreign substances.  Manager Aaron Boone responded to the allegation.

“I don’t make much of it, Gerrit, as well all of our staff members, I believe are mostly above board and will be able to handle this situation in the right kind of way,’’ Boone said. “And it’s not gonna affect the kind of pitchers they are.”

MLB owners met last week and agreed on the need to crack down pitchers that potentially increase their spin rate with greater revolutions using illegal and prohibited foreign substances. So tonight in Minnesota, Gerrit Cole will face Donaldson. Of interest when Cole was asked about it, he didn’t deny it he simply said I don’t know how to answer that.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: Preview of the upcoming Minnesota Twins series

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With the New York Yankees‘ disastrous homestand going 2-5, they have dug themselves into a hole that is becoming increasingly more difficult to climb out of. If the Yankees can climb out, each new series becomes even more important that they take that series. One-third of the season’s games have already been played, and the Yankees after this homestand have slipped back to fourth place 6 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.

The problem for the New York Yankees is simple yet perplexing. What was projected as one of the strongest lineups in baseball can’t consistently hit the ball, hits too many ground balls that lead to double plays, and not enough home runs that they are known for. When they do hit, they leave too many runners on the bases.  Of the 20 players that have been in the lineup, 10 of them have batting averages below .200 and none above .300.

So far, the Yankees starting rotation and the bullpen has been one of the best in baseball, which is the only reason they are not at the bottom of the American League. But even that may be in jeopardy with the loss of Corey Kluber to the 60 day IL and the now wearing out of the bullpen. In addition, the Yankees hitting that now stands at the bottom of stat categories have got to turn things around and start hitting sooner than later. They will try to do that on this road trip. They will first face the Minnesota Twin for 3 games, the Philadelphia Phillies for 2 games, and end the road trip at Buffalo with 3 games against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The New York Yankees are 31-29 in fourth place in the AL East. The Minnesota Twins are 24-35, sharing the bottom of the AL Central with the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees suffer from underperforming hitters; the Twins suffer from everything, nagging injuries, and the worst bullpen in baseball.

Tuesday, June 8th, 8:10 pm:

The first time the New York Yankees face the Minnesota Twin this season will be on Tuesday. The Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery will face off against the Twins’ ex-Yankee Michael Pineda. Montgomery is 3-1 with a 3.92 ERA over 11 games this season with a strikeout per inning. In his last outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, he threw a season-high 99 pitches, giving up just one earned run in the Yankee 4-3 win. He allowed five hits while striking out six Rays.

Montgomery will face Michael Pineda, who was with the Yankees from 2014  to 2017. Pineda was originally slated to start Sunday against the Royals, but forearm tightness for the right-hander ultimately led the Twins to move him to Tuesday. Pineda shouldn’t face any major limitations when he returns to the rotation. Pineda is 3-3 with an ERA  of .3.40 ERA. He is coming off on June 1st, when he lasted only three innings, giving up five runs. 

Wednesday, June 9th, 8:10 pm:

The Yankees will start their ace, Gerrit Cole, on Wednesday. He is 6-3 with an ERA of 2.26 and an incredible 104 strikeouts. Cole has been the best Yankee pitcher this season but has shown some cracks in his last two games. He is coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays; he gave up a season-high five runs. In his last four starts, he is 1-2 with an uncustomary 4.30 ERA. Cole, like all of the Yankee pitchers, has suffered from a lack of run support.

Cole will face the Twins’ Randy Dobnak, a righty that is 1-5 with an elevated 6.19 ERA. The Yankees have seen the rookie before in the 2019 ALDS that the Yankees won. An injury to Kenta Maeda has moved Dobnak into his fourth start of the season. In his first start against the Royals, he took the loss; in his second start on May 21 against the Indians, he got his first win. He is coming off a May 27 loss to the Kansas City Royals when he gave up 6 runs in 6 innings.
Thursday, June 10, 8:10 pm:
The New York Yankees pitcher that has yet to be announced will face another ex-Yankee in J.A. Happ, 3-2 with an ERA of 5.61. Happ was with the Yankees for three seasons, including last year when the Yankees did not offer to keep him in pinstripes. May has not been kind to Happ; he will be looking for his first quality start since April 28. He has a 10.17 ERA across his last five appearances. His last start was at Kansas City, when he pitched five innings, giving up five earned runs. The Yankee starter will likely be Deivi Garcia or Michael King.
All of these games will be televised on the YES Network and Bally Sports North. After this series, the Yankees will move on to Joe Girardi’s Phillies.

New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole hasn’t been as sharp of late

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yankees, gerrit cole

Gerrit Cole got off to a fantastic start in his first full season with the New York Yankees. Cole pitched to a 1.37 ERA in his first eight starts, putting him second to Jacob deGrom in terms of ERA across MLB.

However, Cole’s last four starts have raised some eyebrows with recent struggles. Dating back to May 17 against the Texas Rangers, Cole has a 4.30 ERA over four starts and his season ERA has increased nearly an entire run. Of his last four starts, Cole’s allowed five earned runs in two of them with at least one home run allowed in both.

Cole’s strikeout numbers have also decreased of late, him striking out no more than seven batters in his last four starts. Prior to when his struggles began on May 17, Cole had punched out 10 or more batters in five of his first eight starts.

Even before his struggles really began, we saw a game against the Houston Astros on May 6 where Cole only struck out four batters. That number is low for just about every starter, not just Gerrit Cole. It could’ve been just a bad start or due to the fact of how familiar the Astros are with Cole, but it’s still a little concerning.

One of the only things that are really attested to Cole’s recent struggles is spin rate. MLB is looking to crack down on foreign substances, something Cole and other pitchers have frequently been accused of using. Over his last four starts, Cole’s spin rates are down to around 2500 from around 3000 on his fastball, a surprising number. The lower that spin rates are, the more likely a batter is to hit the ball hard. If Cole was truly using foreign substances, his struggles could potentially be due to his adjustment of pitching without them.

Regardless, the Yankees need Gerrit Cole of old back. The team is still struggling to hit, meaning they are even more reliant on the success of Cole and the rest of the pitching staff to win games.

Yankees: Gerrit Cole says fastball command failed him against Tampa Bay

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Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

The New York Yankees had the opportunity to win the series against the Tampa Bay Rays in convincing fashion on Thursday, but they had to settle for a tie, as their division rivals took the last contest of the four-game set.

Gerrit Cole, the Yankees’ starter for the day, clearly didn’t have his best command. To be more specific, he had trouble commanding his fastball up in the zone, which is one of his primary weapons and the one pitch that set up his amazing secondaries.

Tampa ended up winning 9-2, and Cole’s constant misses up in the zone, together with some questionable decisions by home plate umpire Chad Whitson, were too much to overcome for the Yankees.

Cole said to Jordan Horrobin of MLB.com that he misplaced “noncompetitive” pitches.

“If I remember [in my last start] in [St. Petersburg], we were rifling balls at the top of the strike zone all day,” Cole said. “And today (yesterday) we were up about six or seven inches, or we were in spots where we could’ve grabbed the count to go to our leverage, or pressured with two strikes.”

Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing balls and strikes

The inability to control his fastball prompted Cole to go away from the pitch, as he used it much less frequently than usual, at 43.4 percent of the time. Without his usual diet of heaters, the Rays could do a better job anticipating the secondaries.

Whitson’s judgment of the strike zone got Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone ejected in the seventh frame, but Cole was concerned with what he can control.

“There were too many fastballs above the zone that had an opportunity to press the corners,” Cole said. “Commanding that better, maybe, doesn’t make some of the questionable calls quite so magnified.”

All in all, the Yankees’ ace allowed five runs on five hits and two walks in five frames, with seven strikeouts.

“[I’m] frustrated that we didn’t go out and get it done today,” Boone said. “But you also have to get past it right now and know we’ve got a big one starting this weekend.”