Gene Collier: Cole Train goes off the rails

Pirates starter Gerrit Cole had his second-shortest outing of his career Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.Officially, or according to documents to be filed with the relevant transportation authorities, the Cole Train was not taken out of service until it had chugged through most of five uphill innings Wednesday night, but before that there was enough evidence of mechanical issues that you had to wonder how it ever left the station at all.

It’s all fairly marvelous that Gerrit Cole’s first truly shaggy performance of the baseball season didn’t come until June 24, but there were a number of red flags — make that Reds flags — that might have indicated a bumpy ride even…