Gerrit Cole concluded a strong July on Tuesday, tossing six shutout innings to guide the New York Yankees to a 3-2 win against the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees veteran right-hander has found his stride in July after a challenging June, positioning himself for a solid entry into August.
The Yankees offense provided early support, scratching out three runs in the second inning. Anthony Volpe initiated the scoring with an RBI double, followed by a two-run double from Max Schuemann, giving Cole all the runs he would need. Cole, who had a 6.12 ERA in five June starts, posted a 2.97 ERA over five starts in July. This performance comes in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
Cole's outing was crucial for a bullpen that had been taxed by short starts from Max Fried and Will Warren in preceding games. Cole finished his outing with his seventh strikeout, a 97 mph fastball that caught Braden Montgomery looking.
In the second inning, after singles from Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham, Volpe hit a double to left-center field for the game's first run. Schuemann then extended the lead to 3-0 with his two-run double.
Cole also contributed defensively in the second inning, making a notable catch on a pop-up in front of the mound. After the ball appeared to pop out of his glove, he recovered and secured it with his bare hand while backpedaling.
The White Sox managed only one baserunner through the first three innings. Cole encountered trouble in the fourth, issuing a leadoff double to Munetaka Murakami and a walk to Miguel Vargas. After retiring the next two batters, he walked Montgomery to load the bases. However, he stranded all three runners by getting Tristan Peters to pop out on his final pitch of the inning.
David Bednar entered in the ninth inning for the save. He allowed a two-out, two-run homer to Chase Meidroth, ending a 21-game scoreless streak and marking the first runs he had allowed since May 18. Despite the late scare, Bednar secured the final out, preserving the Yankees' victory.
The Yankees, despite injuries and offensive struggles, have won 11 of their last 15 games. This recent success has brought them within 1.5 games of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East as the trade deadline approaches.