Gerrit Cole Continues A Concerning Postseason Streak

The New York Yankees took Game 1 of the American League Division Series behind a masterful outing by Gerrit Cole.

There was some rumblings among fans that Nestor Cortes should have been the Game 1 starter, and he certainly had a strong case with a 2.44 regular season ERA.

However, Cole answered the call and provided an excellent line: 6.1 innings pitched, just one run, one walk, and eight strikeouts to get the win.

He was rewarded with a standing ovation as he left the diamond.

However, that run he conceded came on a home run, which has been kind of a theme during his career.

When this happens in the postseason, things have the potential to get ugly.

“Gerrit Cole has allowed at least 1 HR in 7 straight postseason games. That’s tied for the longest streak by a pitcher in MLB postseason history,” MLB analyst Katie Sharp tweeted.

Gerrit Cole has allowed at least 1 HR in 7 straight postseason games.

That’s tied for the longest streak by a pitcher in MLB postseason history.

— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) October 12, 2022

A Home Run Problem

Cole led American League pitchers in home runs allowed this year with 33, so it’s a problem he has.

His stuff is excellent, but he can mistakes every once in a while and hitters know him enough to pounce and make him pay.

Despite the 33 regular season homers, Cole had a solid 3.50 ERA in 200.2 innings, earning 3.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in the process.

Las night, Cole was able to pitch around Steven Kwan‘s home run to complete a rock-solid outing.

It’s much easier said than done, but decreasing his home run rate at least a little would probably take Cole to a whole new level of playoff success.

He dominated the Guardians in Game 1, and is in a good position to do it again shall the series extend to five games.