Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was on the wrong end of an epic night for Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Cole actually pitched pretty well against the rest of Toronto's tough lineup, with Guerrero's two home runs off Cole accounting for all three runs the right-hander allowed in his 5 2/3 innings.
Like everyone else watching, even the famously competitive Cole was in awe of the performance. He even tipped his cap to Guerrero after surrendering his impressive opposite-field double in the top of the sixth.
Cole was asked about it after the game.
"I mean, did you see the night?" Cole said to a reporter. "If you had a cap you'd tip it too. I mean, it got better after that, too. My goodness."
While the gesture was essentially meaningless, it might not sit well with some Yankees fans who have questioned Cole's focus and mental toughness.
Cole made waves on Opening Day against the Red Sox when he appeared to be frustrated by a delayed first pitch owing to pregame ceremonies. He later mentioned that he was having trouble hearing the audio on PitchCom because of the sound effects at Yankee Stadium.
After the outing against the Blue Jays in his second start, the 31-year-old, four-time All-Star's ERA sat at 5.59. He has been bitten by the long ball, including the two by Guerrero and one by Boston's Rafael Devers. Cole's next start will likely come against the Tigers during the Yankees' three-game series in Detroit next week.
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