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ANGELS – Kyle Higashioka thought for a second and said it, no matter how surprising that might sound.
Higashioka was asked if Wednesday’s performance with 15 strikeouts and seven innings was the best he has personally seen from Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
“It’s definitely up there,” Higashioka said after the 4-1 win that avoided an Angels series sweep at Angel Stadium. “But he was even better, which is crazy to think. It was obviously an incredible game, but it’s close to what we expect from him.
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Cole was so dominant that he struck out Shohei Ohtani, the near-lock for the American League MVP, swinging three times on fastballs.
“Dominant,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s certainly had some really good ones in his career and certainly with us over the past two seasons. It was for me up there. He was a guy who was in control.
Some outlook on a brilliant night out for Cole, who has a 0.38 ERA in his last four starts (all wins) and is 14-6 with a 2.77 ERA this season:
– His 15 strikeouts were below the career high he set in 2018.
–It was his ninth double-digit batting game of the season, tying David Cone (1998) for most in franchise history.
– It was his sixth start in his last eight outings in which he allowed only one point or less.
– His 116 throws marked the second record of the season (he pitched 129 in Houston on July 10).
Here are six more observations from the Yankees:
Aaron Judge on an amazing stretch: With his 30th homerun, Judge became one of the 10 American Leaguers with 30 homeruns and 75 RBIs this season. Before going 2-for-3 with a goal Wednesday, he reached .370 with a goal with six homers, 22 RBIs and 1,118 OPS in 22 games. “I think the most important thing that helps me is that the guys in front of me get on the base,” said Judge. “DJ LeMahieu, (Anthony) Rizzo, guys at the bottom of the order, every time I go up to plate I have guys in scoring position. It makes my job easy. Do something simple and lead them. He has played 119 games – the most games he has played in a single season since registering 155 in 2017.
Luis Severino to not have enough time: When Severino began his first rehab assignment on June 6, the Yankees dreamed of integrating him into their rotation in August and pairing him with Gerrit Cole as a formidable combination in a short playoff series. Now? They don’t know if he will pitch for the second straight season. After his last shoulder backhand, Severino played wrestling but could be between seven and days before throwing a mound again, Boone said. Boone has all but confirmed that the Yankees don’t have time to prepare him for a starter’s workload before the playoffs. Could Severino come out of relief? May be. Could he be an opener in the playoffs? It’s even more intriguing. Still, that sounds dangerous, considering how long it has been since he faced a major league competition.
Gleyber Torres vs. Andrew Velazquez? Although the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre Triple-A canceled their game on Wednesday due to rain, the Yankees expect Torres to play on Thursday and return to the major league squad on Friday. Everyone knows what’s going to happen. Torres will return as the team’s starting shortstop. But on Wednesday, Boone said Velazquez will stay with the squad (likely thanks to expanded rosters) when Torres returns. Could the Yankees use Velazquez as a defensive replacement for Torres the rest of the season?
Who is the No. 2 in the playoffs? Are you looking too far? May be. But there is no Severino. Corey Kluber only has one start on the injured list and he started strong and then got hammered. Jameson Taillon has been bad in his last two starts. It could be a task for Jordan Montgomery (3.52 ERA, 24 starts). That is, unless the Yankees want to get funky with an opener-type situation that could involve Severino. Or if Kluber returns to his early season form.
Gary Sanchez slips hard again: Gary Sanchez has reached just 0.184 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs and a .670 OPS in his last 41 games. It reached 0.237 on June 20. His batting average fell to 0.213.
Gio Urshela on the mend: The Yankees will send Urshela for an MRI on Thursday. His left hand was sore after landing on it awkwardly as he tried to defend against a double steal in Tuesday’s loss. Boone said he hopes Urshela can play on Friday.
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Brendan Kuty can be reached at [email protected].
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