CHICAGO -- Gerrit Cole bent plenty on Sunday afternoon.
He never broke.
Working around traffic, Cole delivered another strong outing before escaping a bases-loaded jam with help from the bullpen, pitching 5 2/3 innings in the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Cole allowed one run on four hits while striking out five and walking three, continuing what has become a dominant stretch for the Yankees’ rotation. His ERA dipped from 3.57 to 3.42, and he has now allowed three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 13 starts this season, including two or fewer in eight of them.
After issuing a leadoff walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cole quickly found his rhythm, retiring the next nine batters in order. The Cubs didn’t record their first hit until Seiya Suzuki doubled to begin the fourth inning, later coming around to score the lone run charged to Cole.
The Yankees gave their ace an early cushion in the third inning when José Caballero launched a two-run homer, allowing Cole to attack the strike zone with the lead.
The biggest test came in the sixth. Crow-Armstrong drew another leadoff walk before Suzuki singled, putting two aboard with nobody out. Cole responded by retiring Michael Busch on a fly ball and striking out Alex Bregman, but a walk to Ian Happ loaded the bases and ended his afternoon after 99 pitches (63 strikes).
Brent Headrick inherited the jam and induced a flyout from Nico Hoerner, preserving both the 2-1 lead and Cole’s final line.
It was the latest example of New York’s starting pitching continuing to carry the club. Over the past six games, Yankees starters have repeatedly handed the bullpen late leads, and Cole added another quality effort to that growing run.