Gerrit Cole once revealed that the New York Yankees were busy making their own holy water during the 2022 season. They would religiously splash some on the field before the game started. Four years have passed since then, and it’s unclear whether they are still making their own holy water. But the $324 million starter has his own convictions, and on Saturday afternoon, fans got a glimpse of them in the minutes before the scheduled first pitch.
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For Game 2 of the Subway Series, manager Aaron Boone handed the ball to Gerrit Cole. The first pitch was scheduled for 1:38 p.m., and the veteran right-hander was done warming up a minute early. But instead of throwing the first pitch, Cole kept a crowd of 46,864 and Francisco Lindor waiting. One anxious minute later, he threw the first pitch—a strike! Punctuality at its finest. However, his decision backfired quickly. Cole failed to get the upper hand over Lindor, as the Mets star promptly sent his 85-mph changeup for a solo homer. Could Cole have escaped the homer if he had thrown right away? That’s something we will never know.
“Gerrit Cole refused to start the game before the official start time, and then allowed a leadoff home run,” Jomboy Media wrote on X.
Cole retired the next three batters but struggled throughout his 4.1-inning outing. He surrendered 5 earned runs on 9 hits while fanning 4, but did not allow walks. Cole took his ninth loss of the season as the Mets dominated the Yankees for a 12-2 victory. He has posted a 3.67 ERA across 20 outings so far this season.
After the video of Cole waiting for the exact time spread online, fans found his actions comical. One fan jokingly wrote, “I also stare at the clock before work; I ain’t punching in before I gotta.”
Another fan quipped, “It’s like he showed up early to the office and sat in his car.”
However, the 36-year-old may not necessarily be refusing to pitch. He was simply waiting for the official start time. Broadcasters usually run commercials before the scheduled first pitch, and Cole did not want anyone to miss the action. Though he only threw 77 pitches, it was a long day for Cole, who struggled with his stuff.
“[It’s] hard for me to pin it on one thing because, again, at a certain point, starting pitchers throughout the year need to make an adjustment,” Cole told The Athletic postgame. “It’s a long season. Hitters are good. Offenses are good. High-stakes games with good offenses, sometimes they teach you lessons, like [Saturday].”
Cole is under a nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees that runs through the 2028 season. After Tommy John surgery kept him from the mound last season, Cole returned on May 22.
Saturday marked his second consecutive loss of the season, as he struggled with swings and misses. In his last start, he gave up 4 runs against the San Diego Padres. Cole’s 22.3% whiff rate this season is his lowest since 2016. He also surrendered three homers, making it seven in his last two starts.
His struggles have clearly been reflected in the Yankees’ overall performance.
The Yankees drop Game 2 of the Subway Series
On Saturday, the Yankees struggled to make an impact offensively and defensively, both. With Zac Thornton on the mound, the lineup fell flat.
Thornton kept them scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when he loaded the bases. The Yankees scored their first run as Cody Bellinger hit an RBI single, scoring Paul Goldschmidt. Bellinger also homered in the sixth inning. Those were the only scoring plays the Yankees recorded on Saturday. They created a threat in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases, but Thornton induced a double play against Anthony Volpe and escaped the jam.
On the other hand, the Mets pounded the Yankees’ pitching staff, and it started with Gerrit Cole. Following his leadoff homer to Francisco Lindor, Cole surrendered another two-run shot to Luis Torrens in the top of the second. Cole continued to bleed runs as Carson Benge hit a dinger of his own.
While the fourth inning went uneventfully, Cole surrendered one more run in the fifth after Benge’s RBI hit. By the time the veteran pitcher left the mound, the Yankees were trailing 1-5.
As the offense went cold, the Yankees’ relievers failed to prevent runs. They allowed a home run to Juan Soto in the seventh, while the Mets recorded a five-run eighth. As Torrens hit an RBI double off Bradley Hanner, the Mets loaded the bases. A walk to Morabito later, Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam to extend the lead. Jared Young capped the Mets’ victory with a solo shot in the final inning.
The Yankees dropped to 85-63 after the matchup and now trail the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays by four games. The Yankees will aim to secure the series on Sunday.