Fifteen strikeouts, and the same ballpark
Gerrit Cole pitches in Anaheim tonight. He grew up about fifteen minutes away, at Orange Lutheran High School. And on this exact date five years ago he threw one of the best games of his Yankees career at Angel Stadium: one run on four hits over seven innings, 15 strikeouts, Shohei Ohtani beaten three times.
“Complete domination,” Aaron Judge called it. Cole has never struck out more batters in a single game for New York. Only his outing with Houston in Arizona in May 2018 tops it.
The Angels have rarely troubled him since. Twelve career starts against Los Angeles, an 8-2 record, a 2.48 ERA, 103 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings. At Angel Stadium specifically he is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts.
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A rebuilt arm, and a bad night to answer for
This is start number 18 since Cole came back on May 22 from the Tommy John surgery that erased his entire 2025 season. August suited him: 3-2, a 2.35 ERA, 32 strikeouts across 30 2/3 innings in five outings. He turns 36 on September 8 and sits at 7-7 with a 3.19 ERA.
The last start stung. Three runs on six hits over six innings against Houston on Thursday, a two-run Christian Walker homer in the middle of it, a 5-1 defeat. That ended a run of five consecutive starts allowing two runs or fewer.
Monday was worse for everyone in grey. The Yankees managed six hits, committed three errors and lost 10-1. Spencer Jones homered. Almost nothing else worked. “Obviously an ugly one for us tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s just a great reminder that in this league you’ve got to play well or you’ll get it handed to you.”
Grayson Rodriguez, also finding his way back
The Angels counter with Grayson Rodriguez, whose comeback runs close to Cole’s own. Arm and shoulder injuries cost him nearly 22 months. Tuesday brings his 16th start of the year, and his August read 2.93 with 29 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings even as his season ERA sits at 6.03.
“It feels like I’m getting back to my normal self,” he told the Orange County Register. “Just being in the zone with the heater, being able to throw it pretty much in any count.”
Los Angeles sit 53-85 and had lost seven straight before Monday. New York, 78-60, are chasing October and just handed a last-place club its best night in weeks.
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