The matchup between Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke was very fitting as the New York Yankees visited the Houston Astros over the weekend. For it was Greinke who was relieved in the seventh inning of Game 7 in the 2019 World Series with the Astros leading the Washington Nationals 2-1. And it was Cole, then playing for the Astros, who sat in the bullpen, ready to close out the game, yet overlooked by manager A.J. Hinch.
Reliever Will Harris entered instead of Cole, surrendered the Howie Kendrick home run, and left Cole wearing a Boris Cooperation hat as he took questions after the game. From the seventh inning on, Cole never looked back. He signed a massive contract with the Yankees in the offseason and has put his time with the Astros in the rear view mirror.
He can officially close the book on thoughts of his Minute Maid days pitching in the tequila sunrise uniforms, after the gem he pitched against his former team.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole gets a little closure with a brilliantly pitched game against his former team.
Cole has scuffled some in recent starts, ever since the league has began to check pitchers for foreign substances. He didn’t need any against the Astros. He was using pure adrenaline, which carried him through nine brilliant innings.
Cole mowed through Astros hitters. Some who he was teammates with. Some who were in the minors when he played in Houston. Some who played elsewhere. Cole didn’t care. He treated everyone the same. He dominated the entire lineup.
Controlling the game from the get-go, Cole refused to leave the mound until the 27th Astros hitter had been retired. Never had he thrown so many pitches in a game before (129), yet his intensity was the same on the last, as the first.
Gerrit Cole, 99mph on his 129th Pitch.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 11, 2021
For his 12th K. 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/CU2mXYxIod
For all the talk Cole can’t pitch without foreign substances, Cole was unfazed on this night. Twelve strikeouts while scattering three hits. Domination. Complete and utter dominance.
Take that A.J. HInch, for not putting him in Game 7 of the World Series. Take that Astros owner Jim Crane for not forking over the cash to keep him in town. Take that baseball fans for thinking he can’t pitch without foreign substances.
There may be rocky pitching performances for Cole from here on out. One thing is certain, he got a little closure with this win against his former team. And the baseball Gods smiled upon him on this night.