The wait for 61 goes on, but we sure as heck will take the win. The Yankees’ offense recovered from another Gerrit Cole meltdown, grinding out five runs with key contributions from the bottom of the lineup while Jonathan Loáisiga led the bullpen with two innings to secure a narrow 5-4 victory.
Cole entered the contest needing 12 strikeouts to tie Ron Guidry’s single-season franchise record of 248 set in his 1978 Cy Young campaign, and he seemed to be on a mission to equal if not surpass that total tonight. He fanned the first two batters he faced, but then the other less desirable narrative that’s defined his season cropped up.