The Yankees Won the Game, and Gerrit Cole was Outstanding
Gerrit Cole figured out how to pitch to Rafael Devers. At the least, he won’t have to worry about deafening teammate Matt Carpenter‘s bat.
The rest of the Yankees are satisfied for a memorable first half with two decisive victories over their longtime rival.
Cole brushed off Devers and struck out 12, Carpenter drove in three more runs, and the Yankees beat the Red Sox 13-2 on Sunday. In the first inning, Chris Sale broke his left pinkie finger.
The Yankees reached double digits for the 16th time this season — no other team has more than ten such games — and finished the season with a record of 64-28.
After losing five of six games, including three extra-inning defeats, New York outscored Boston 27-3 in the final two games of the series.
Cole (9-2) blew Devers out with a low, 99 mph fastball on his first pitch after allowing two home runs to him in Boston on July 7. Devers glared at Cole from the dirt then swinging at a high fastball and striking out.
Cole earned his fourth straight victory by allowing two runs and three hits over seven innings. He also recorded his 13th career game with double-digit strikeouts and no walks, trailing Randy Johnson by two.
Aaron Judge gets 2 singles and finished the first half with a record 33 homers, tied with Roger Maris. Judge hit 33 home runs in 89 games, while Maris hit 33 in the first 83 games.
After Cole knocked down Devers, Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and DJ LeMahieu were all hit by pitches. LeMahieu left the game in the eighth inning, but Boone said there was no injury concern.
Carpenter had an RBI groundout in the first inning and added a two-run double in the fourth. Carpenter has 34 RBI in 31 games since joining the Yankees.
In the fourth inning, Tim Locastro hit a two-run homer off Jake Diekman. Locastro went 3 for 5 with two bases on the one-year anniversary.
It was Locastro’s third three-hit game of the season, and it earned him the team’s postgame wrestling championship belt for the first time.
New York’s big inning began with RBI singles by LeMahieu and Judge, who later scored on Carpenter’s double.
Aaron Hicks had two RBI singles, one of which fractured Sale’s left pinkie. After attempting to Hicks’ 106.7 mph liner, Sale pain exited with pain.
After coming in as a defensive replacement in the seventh, Joey Gallo added a two-run homer.
Sale (0-1) was making his second start. After homering on the first pitch, Devers went 0 for 3.
In the third inning, rookie Jeter hit a two-run homer off Cole. His first home run in the majors.
UP NEXT
The Yankees travel to Houston on Thursday for a day-night doubleheader, and its necessary because the lockout postponing their originally scheduled season-opening road trip.
What do you think, leave a comment below.
