NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole’s final two starts of the regular season were dominant.
Once the dust settled from his clunker against the Red Sox on September 14 — with the controversial intentional walk to Rafael Devers — the Yankees’ right-hander looked like himself, recapturing his ace-like form heading into the playoffs.
That didn’t carry over into Game 1 of the American League Division Series, though.
Cole didn’t have his best stuff against the Royals on Saturday night. It was clear from the first inning and lingered over five-plus frames.
The right-hander was lucky to get through with only three earned runs allowed, limiting the damage on a barrage of hard contact, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse.
Cole departed after giving up a leadoff single in the sixth with the Yankees holding on to a one-run lead. Lefty Tim Hill entered and induced what had a shot to be a double play ball, but shortstop Anthony Volpe threw his feed to second into right. A pinch-hit, two-run single from Garrett Hampson followed, putting Kansas City in front, 5-4. That added another unearned run to Cole’s final line.
From the get-go, the Royals were on Cole. Each of the first three hitters in Kansas City’s lineup cracked a deep fly ball at an exit velocity over 100 mph in the top of the first. All three resulted in an out.
Leadoff man Michael Massey skied what looked like a potential crowd-silencing homer to the fence in right on the very first pitch of the game. Juan Soto made the catch with his back practically against the padding at the short porch in right. Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. then mashed a missile into the left-center gap that was tracked down by Aaron Judge, a stellar running grab. Designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino flew out to Judge a few pitches later.
Catcher Salvador Perez started the second with another line drive, a single to left. After a walk to veteran Yuli Gurriel — Cole’s old teammate when they were on the Astros together — left fielder MJ Melendez hooked a single into right. For some reason, Royals third-base coach Vance Wilson waved Perez home. Soto’s accurate throw from right got there with steps to spare, nailing the backstop at the plate. Kansas City did tack on a run one batter later on a Tommy Pham sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, moments after Gleyber Torres gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead with a liner over the short porch in right, Melendez took Cole yard to almost the same exact spot. Both go-ahead two-run homers wouldn’t have gone out in any other ballpark besides Yankee Stadium, per Statcast.
Cole churned out another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, retiring Witt, Pasquantino and Perez to hold off a call to the bullpen a little longer. He didn’t last longer than one batter into the sixth, though. Gurriel ripped a single off the left-field wall, forcing Yankees manager Aaron Boone to summon the lefty Hill to face Melendez.