Gerrit Cole threw 5.2 innings of two-hit, one-run baseball on Monday night in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Angels.
He struck out nine and, after a first-inning solo shot and an infield single to start the second, didn’t let up another hit.
He also hadn’t pitched since July 29, and had a case of COVID-19 between then and last night… But it didn’t look like it.
“To be out for as long as he was out, his velocity — I think he was throwing 99,” said Joey Gallo, who drove in the Yankees’ only two runs of the game. “That’s why he’s one of the best in the game.”
In all, Cole threw 90 pitches and 59 strikes. Before the game, Aaron Boone said there wasn’t any hard cap on the amount of pitches he would throw.
Part of that more lax approach, said the Yankee manager, comes from an unusual dose of self-awareness from his ace.
“He’s usually very realistic,” Boone said. “I treat him maybe differently than some, but part of that is how good he is. I do feel like even in the heat of the battle, he does a good job of recognizing where he’s at physically.”
In last night’s sixth inning, Cole retired the first two batters. The next reached on error by Rougned Odor. Instead of laboring through another hitter, out came Cole for Zack Britton, who struck out the next batter on three pitches to end the inning.
After the game, Cole was as Boone described: Realistic.
“I’m pretty tired right now to be honest,” Cole said. “I probably could have surged a bit for another 15 pitches if needed, but we don’t have any off days coming up, gotta make up some of those starts I missed.
“Coming back in five days, I just needed somebody to pick me up.”