From Robert Falkoff:
Two games into his 2026 comeback tour, Gerrit Cole has yet to hit a speed bump.
Cole picked up against the Royals on Wednesday night where he had left off last Friday against Tampa Bay by stringing zeros across the scoreboard. The veteran right-hander, who endured a 569-day absence due to Tommy John surgery, was both pitch efficient and in strikeout mode during the Yankees’ 7-0 win at Kauffman Stadium.
And whereas Cole came out after six innings and 72 pitches against the Rays, he took the extra step Wednesday by heading to the mound for the seventh inning with 10 strikeouts and no walks on just 70 pitches. The Royals had a runner at first with two outs when manager Aaron Boone went to the mound for a pitching change with the Yankees up, 5-0.
Cole showed his stuff by striking out two in each of the opening three innings. But he needed some defensive help from right fielder Aaron Judge to keep Kansas City off the scoreboard in the third. With a runner at second and two outs, Maikel Garcia lined a single to right. But Judge came up throwing and got Michael Massey at the plate.
Great win.
There is absolutely NO chance that I expected Gerrit Cole to look this good. I was hoping for him to be a quality #3 start with postseason upside. He basically pitched like Playoff Cole, and that’s awesome.
If you could use him and Schlittler in a series in Games 1 and 2, with Max Fried being your THIRD starter. Well, that’d be pretty fucking awesome. With Weathers throwing 98 in the 8th inning? Yes, please.
Featured image is Cole showing “emotion.”
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JC Escarra is apparently going to try to become a switch-hitter in the offseason (he’s already starting to practice, but I don’t think it’s something you can do midseason). That’s FASCINATING. Good for him if he can pull it off.
I mean, it’d be fascinating if he tried to become any kind of hitter.
Is he going to be here another 5 years?
Lagrange better tonight 5.1ip 1r 3h 6k 1bb
Sherman got some attention today by having Cash say that they’re discussing the timing on when to call Lagrange up to work in the bullpen. It’s just kind of silly, as I think during SPRING TRAINING we all knew that EVENTUALLY Lagrange would be in the bullpen this season. It’s really only a matter of timing. I think they’re handling it perfectly, honestly. Try to get him to his peak form in the minors as a starter and THEN you can bring him up, once he has mastered starting, so he can go back to starting next season.
Lombard and Jones, 4 Ks each.
In other words they’ll fit right in.
Who knew Bill James was so old
Sarah Langs lowest career ERA before turning 24, since ER official (1913), min 300 ip:
1913-15 Dutch Leonard: 1.99
1913-14 Bill Doak: 2.09
1914-18 Babe Ruth: 2.09
2024-26 Paul Skenes: 2.12
1913-15 Bill L. James: 2.27
He’s good, but he’s no Babe Ruth!!