Gerrit Cole surrendered three straight home runs to open the game, a deficit the New York Yankees could not overcome in a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday. The defeat, in the final game of a West Coast road trip, prevented the Yankees from gaining ground in the division standings.
Cole gave up four solo home runs in total, with the fourth coming in the seventh inning and extending the Padres' lead to 4-0. The Yankees managed to rally in the top of the eighth against Padres reliever Adrian Morejon. Spencer Jones hit an RBI double, and an infield single by pinch hitter Amed Rosario, aided by a throwing error from Morejon, resulted in two more runs. However, the rally stalled when Jasson Domínguez flew out with runners on base.
Former Yankee Michael King started for the Padres and pitched six shutout innings. King, acquired in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees, stifled his former team for most of his outing. He lost his command in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but the Yankees failed to score as Cody Bellinger flew out.
The Padres took a 3-0 lead in the first inning with three consecutive solo home runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the scoring with a home run to right field. Jake Cronenworth followed with a blast down the left-field line, and Manny Machado added a long home run to center field. Cole has a history of allowing consecutive home runs, having also given up three straight to begin a game on June 9, 2022, against the Minnesota Twins.
Following the rough start, Cole settled in, but the damage had already been done. The Yankees concluded their 3-3 road trip, and with 19 games remaining in the season, they trail the Tampa Bay Rays by four games for the division lead. They also now hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the top American League wild card spot.