Cole becomes fastest to 1,000 K's as a Yankee in latest dazzling start
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NEW YORK – The pitch selection has been tweaked over the years, but the scouting report on Gerrit Cole’s approach has never changed all that much: Opponents know that the Yankees’ ace is coming right after them.
Having embraced his four-seamer more frequently of late, Cole is generating more swings and misses, and he also made a little history. Cole became the fastest pitcher in franchise history to reach 1,000 strikeouts in the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Braves on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Spencer Jones drove in two runs off ace left-hander Chris Sale on a single in the second and a triple in the fifth. Fellow rookie George Lombard Jr. added his second home run in four career games, an opposite-field solo shot in the seventh.
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Ben Rice tacked on a crucial insurance run with a Statcast-projected 431-foot homer to center in the eighth, his first since July 27.
Cole struck out nine over seven innings of two-run ball, giving him 1,002 strikeouts since his first season with the Yankees in 2020. Cole reached 1,000 strikeouts in 139 games and 837 2/3 innings, the fastest to ever reach the mark in pinstripes. CC Sabathia held the previous mark, having reached 1,000 strikeouts in his 162nd game with the Yankees.
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Saturday marked Cole’s 14th start since returning from Tommy John surgery, and he has pitched to a 2.27 ERA (eight earned runs in 31 2/3 innings) over his past five starts.
Both of Atlanta’s runs off Cole scored in the fifth inning, when he permitted four consecutive hits, including a run-scoring Mike Yastrzemski double and a Jim Jarvis RBI single.
Cole’s 1,000th strikeout as a Yankee came as he caught Matt Olson looking at a 98.8 mph four-seamer, ending the top of the fifth inning.