Gerrit Cole needs to settle in. The Yankees ace did not get off to the start to the season he and the team wanted. Wednesday night, Cole needs to find that routine and rhythm early against a tough Blue Jays lineup that very well could be the team the Yankees are battling down the stretch for a playoff spot.
Cole couldn’t find that comfort zone on Opening Day, so Wednesday night is a chance to start over.
“When you’re missing that bad there are mechanical breakdowns, but I’d say overall my mechanics are in a good spot. I just had a lot of adrenaline and just kind of spun my tires there for a minute,” Cole said Tuesday before the Yankees tried to rebound against the Blue Jays after two straight losses. “So maybe to find the rhythm and the tempo to just kind of stay with myself a little better.”
Cole did not record a decision on Opening Day, allowing three earned runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three in four innings. His day was more remembered for him being caught on camera complaining about the pregame ceremonies going longer than expected.
But the Yankees need a better Cole if they are going to be in the conversation for the postseason. Tuesday night, Nestor Cortes pitched like an ace, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings, helping the Yankees snap a two-game losing streak and beat the dangerous Blue Jays 4-0 at the Stadium.
The Yankees need that from Cole Wednesday night and he knows it.
It may be early in the season, but it’s not too early to set the tone within the American League East. Last season, the Yankees dug themselves a hole against the Red Sox early.
Cole doesn’t want to repeat that feeling and have to dig themselves out of a hole this season.
“Even though we play them 19 times you know, we only play them 19 times, so they count the same in April as they do in September, but [feeling like you have] to crawl back and have to feel like we’re constantly walking uphill towards the end of the year,” Cole said. “You put yourself in a better position when you play better against these teams early. With the understanding that both are gonna get better as the season goes on.”
Last season was one where Cole lost some traction as well.
He came out early in 2021 as the best pitcher in the league and then became the poster boy for pitchers using illegal sticky stuff on the balls in June when MLB decided to enforce their own rules more stringently. He adjusted and regained control of his season, only to catch COVID after the All-Star break. He got back on track and then whether it was a tight hamstring or the workload (181.1 innings pitched after just 91 in 2020), Cole went into that Wild Card game with a 6.35 ERA over his last four starts.
The Yankees are obviously looking for a bit of a bounce back from Cole this season and Opening Day wasn’t the best way to turn the page on his struggles. But Wednesday night could be another chance, especially against a Blue Jays lineup that is so dangerous.
“They have a lot of talent and they have some good leaders too. That’s a combination to win a lot of games,” Cole said of the Blue Jays. “So, we’ll have our hands full, but we’re confident you know, and what we can bring to the table and, and if we execute, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
Cole picked up some ideas from watching Jameson Taillon, who was solid against the Blue Jays for five innings Monday night.
“I thought he was really good. I thought he took it really one hitter at a time and a couple of times they put him in a spot with a base hit early or a hit with two outs and he just kept his pace and just kept making one good pitch of another,” Cole said. “He gave us a good shot to win and put together a good start. So I think really, all our best games have that same characteristic. One pitch at a time regardless of if something good or bad happens. You just kind of stay in the middle.”
Now, Cole just needs to go out and find that rhythm.
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