Yesterday afternoon's series finale with the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium was billed as a "battle of aces" between the Yankees' Gerrit Cole and the Mariners' newly-acquired Luis Castillo.
It wasn't. Cole didn't even show up. He started the game allowing single, walk, home run, home run, single before he got so much as one blessed out. Then he allowed another home run, before retiring 17 of the next 19 batters.
I've joked about "onebadinningitis." It has happened to every Yankee pitcher. Even Hall-of-Famers (like Mike Mussina), likely Hall-of-Famers (like CC Sabathia), and should-be-Hall-of-Famers (like Roger Clemens, David Cone and Andy Pettitte).
And, yes, Cole was great after that one bad inning. But he put the Yankees in a 6-0 hole before they'd even come to bat. You can't do that, and expect your hitters to bail you out. It's a two-way street: You're supposed to protect them.
And he's been doing this a lot lately. Somebody crunched some numbers and determined that, since the rules forced him to abandon "the sticky stuff," Cole is 19-10. That's a Cy Young Award-worthy season, but the 10 seem to stand out a lot more than the 19. And his ERA over that time? 3.83. By this era's standards, good, but not great, not giving you the confidence of an ace.
Don't you DARE tell me "Wins and losses are meaningless stats for a pitcher." To Hell with you, and to Hell with your analytics, and to Hell with your made-up stats like "Wins Above Replacement." WAR? Huh! Good God, y'all! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'! Say it again!
(Yes, I have been listening to Don LaGreca's ESPN Radio "rant" videos, why do you ask?)
Okay, I realize that this may contradict what I said about "made-up stats." But, according to Baseball-Reference.com, when a game begins, each team, at least theoretically, has a 50 percent chance of winning; but, 7 batters into the game, the Mariners' chance of winning rose to 92 percent. And at no point after that 3rd homer of the 1st inning did it drop back below 90 percent.
When you're considered the ace of your baseball team's starting rotation, and after 7 batters you give you team only a 1 in 12 chance of winning the game, you have not earned the big bucks.
The Yankees got on the board in the 2nd inning on a single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But Wandy Peralta gave up a homer in the top of the 7th. Kyle Higashioka hit one out with IKF aboard in the bottom of the 7th, for all the good that did.
And it should be noted that Aaron Boone -- probably on Brian Cashman's order -- gave Aaron Judge the day off. After all, it was a day game after a night game. But today was a scheduled day off, anyway, so what was the point? Why leave your best hitter out of the lineup? It's hot? Yes, and it's also hot for every other player. Make him your DH so he doesn't have to stand in the hot outfield. If he hits one out, he'll feel a lot cooler, and so will you.
At any rate, Mariners 7, Yankees 3. WP: Castillo (5-4). No save. LP: Cole (6-4). The Yankees remain in 1st place in the American League Eastern Division, 11 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, and 2 games ahead of the Houston Astros for home-field advantage in the postseason.
After the game, Aaron Boone was asked about Cole's struggles, and he said... and this is exactly what he said...
Yeah, I mean, that's what we've got to dive into a little bit more, because that's what kind of hurt him a little bit, is the big inning. I mean, it's been mostly dominant, even in those games like today, where he obviously had a bad inning...
We've got to dive into it a little bit more? Pardon my French, but, DeFuque?
But who knows what the hell "it" is?
I get that even great pitchers have bad days. But this alleged ace has had a lot of them. Including in last year's AL Wild Card Game, the biggest game he has yet pitched as a Yankee. He has not gotten the job done.
Today is a travel day. Tomorrow night, the Yankees start an Interleague series away to the St. Louis Cardinals.