"He's shown the ability to [rise to the occasion]," manager Clint Hurdle said after watching Cole overcome a shaky beginning to retire 19 of the last 23 Cardinals he faced.
Cole showed the ability to do a lot of things on his way to his 16th win -- and no Pittsburgh pitcher has won more in 24 years (John Smiley, 20 in 1991).
To the entertainment of a nation watching ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, Cole played the game as if campaigning for a new nickname. "Cole Train" didn't do him justice. "Do-It-All Cole" fit better.
In the fifth, while the Bucs clung to a 1-0 lead, Cole laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt off a John Lackey pitch that was sailing toward his eyes.