(Audacy) While he isn't slated to pitch during the New York Yankees' quick two-game set in Pittsburgh, ace Gerrit Cole returned to PNC Park on Tuesday for the first time since the Pirates traded him to the Houston Astros in January 2018.
In a meeting with the assembled media, Cole was asked to reflect on his five seasons with the Pirates and whether he would change anything from his time while in Pittsburgh.
"I would probably take that slider back to (Kyle) Schwarber," Cole said, as noted by Alex Stumpf of DK Sports Pittsburgh.
Of course, Cole was referring to the 430-foot home run that he gave up to Schwarber -- who was then with the Chicago Cubs -- in the third inning of the 2015 National League wild-card game.
Cole gave up six hits and four runs over five innings, while eventual NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta pitched a complete-game shutout for the Cubs in a 4-0 win. The Pirates haven't been back to the playoffs since.
While Schwarber is now hitting tape-measure shots for the Philadelphia Phillies, he faced Cole as a member of the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card game in 2021. The end result was a solo shot for Schwarber in an eventual 6-2 win for the Red Sox.
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