On their way to winning the World Series in 1996 the Yankees rallied around second baseman Mariano Duncan’s slogan that was printed on T-shirts.
“We play today. We win today. Das it,’’ was Duncan’s message.
Almost a quarter century later the Yankees’ motto should be “Gerrit Cole pitches today. We win today. Das it.’’
Saturday afternoon that happened even if Cole wasn’t the winning pitcher in an 8-4 victory over the Rays, the first of two seven-inning games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
One out away from qualifying for what would have been his 20th straight win, Cole was removed by Aaron Boone after giving up a two-run homer to Jose Martinez that cut the Yankees’ lead to 5-3 in the fifth. Cole needed a season-high 107 pitches to go 4 ²/₃ innings in which he gave up three runs, six hits and struck out 10. The Yankees are 4-0 in Cole’s four starts.
“Good and bad. I thought the fastball location was improved. Obviously the pitch count got up there and wasn’t able to finish the outing the way we wanted to,’’ Cole said. “But there was some kind of improvement across the board so I will try and take that.’’
Boone credited the Rays hitters for making Cole sweat even during the opening four frames when the hosts didn’t score.
“Credit to them, they made him work, obviously, and really drove his count up,’’ Boone said. “They were able to get a guy on base it seemed like every inning. I thought he was pretty sharp overall for not being able to get through five.’’
An RBI double by Ji-Man Choi in the fifth was followed by Martinez’ two-run homer and suddenly a 5-0 lead was reduced to a two-run cushion and led to Boone calling for Chad Green.
“A couple of mistakes at the end that cost him to get through [five]. I thought the other side at least made it tough on him when I thought he was pretty sharp,’’ said Boone, who used Adam Ottavino for the seventh to seal a win that halted a two-game losing streak.
After getting beaten 1-0 Friday night and not touching home plate in the previous 13 innings the Yankees knocked out gas-throwing right-hander Tyler Glasnow in the third inning Saturday.
Boone put the left-handed-hitting Ford third in the order — between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton — and he crushed a two-run homer on a fastball that traveled 437 feet. Gio Urshela added a two-run double that ended Glasnow’s day.
Glasnow featured a high-90s fastball in the first inning, worked out of trouble in the second and was gone before getting the third out in the third when the Yankees delivered a 4-0 lead to Cole.
Stanton homered leading off the fifth and Judge’s eighth homer delivered two runs in the sixth.
“Game plan for him you have to be on the heater at all times,’’ Ford said of Glasnow, whose fastball reached 98 mph in the second inning. “Obviously he has an electric fastball and great breaking ball. For me it was stay on the heater the whole game.’’
Green put an end to the fifth-inning uprising by blowing away a looking Yoshi Tsutugo with a fastball. Green opened the sixth with a 7-3 cushion by issuing two walks and gave up a run without allowing a hit.
The victory stopped a two-game losing streak for the Yankees, who improved to 10-4.
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Yankees' homer-filled win continues Gerrit Cole trend - New York Post
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