NEW YORK — A few days ago, Gerrit ColeAmy was his partner in crime, and he played catch together, in the hope that his body would quickly recover from COVID-19, so he could help his family. YankeesSoon.
Cole was unsure how full he still had to go, so he pitched his first pitch Monday night. Shohei OhtaniIt was 95 mph. Other speeds were also impressive.
Cole pitched two-hit ball to the sixth and struck out nine batters in his COVID-19 return. Joey GalloNew York’s two-run winner was hit by a homer. Los Angeles Angels2-1
New York is now in the lead with 10 wins out of 13. Boston was two games behind for the AL wild-card slot. With a Tuesday doubleheader, the Yankees will open a three game series against rival Red Sox.
Cole (11-6) went 5⅔ innings, the only damage against him coming on Justin UptonThe first homer was by. Yankees’ ace, who walked one batter in the first game after allowing eight to Tampa Bay on July 29, was able to throw 90 pitches and reach 100 mph.
Cole stated that he was prepared in case he didn’t know the exact location of the balls. “It was to strike the strike zone first, then move on from there.”
He tested positive for COVID-19 in August. The left-hander had only mild symptoms but no serious side effects on Monday. While he was feeling good on the mound and fatigue starting to set in after the game, he stated that a lot of his symptoms were resolving.
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager, said “He is an ace and great at what it does.” “He did a fantastic job managing himself.”
Zack Britton Albert Abreu Joely RodriguezThe ball was yours Chad GreenHe closed the ninth to make it his fourth save. New York had lost the bullpen at least once in six of its past six games.
Ohtani finished 0-for-4, after he had homered three times during his previous Angels visit to Yankee Stadium. One of his outs was a huge fly ball that he hit against Cole. The bat reached a speed of 109 mph, and was stopped on the warning track during the sixth.
Cole stated, “He makes it nervous every single time he is in the box.”
The Associated Press also contributed to this article.