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Cole ends series with another strong start

Bill Brink 8 years ago

Gerrit Cole in his past four starts: 30 innings, 23 hits, nine runs, eight earned, three walks, 22 strikeouts. Both he and Clint Hurdle spoke Sunday about how strong Cole was Tuesday in Kansas City, how sharp and crisp all four of his pitches were. 

“We had all four working,” he said. “Couldn't get the curveball really working as sharp as we wanted [Sunday], nor the changeup. Came out with a fastball up, which was good.”

When Cole can’t get the curveball or changeup working and still allows one run in 72/3 innings to win his 14th game, he’s in a good spot. The only run he allowed resulted from Michael Taylor’s homer. Taylor hit a good pitch, below the strike zone, out to right-center field, and the result baffled Cole.

“I don't know what the heck Taylor did on that pitch,” he said. “He was pulling off all day from the first pitch of the game. I challenged him up in the zone and he was just, he beat the ball to the plate and rolled it over to [Aramis] Ramirez for me. Even the third at-bat, he stayed big, trying to go to left-center. The second at-bat he went underneath the zone and went oppo. It was just a different swing than he had taken.”

The pitch Cole did have Sunday was his fastball, and he and Chris Stewart realized early that they could be effective with the pitch up in the zone.

“We kind of used it to our advantage in certain situations,” he said. “They were aggressive, which played into that hand as well. You just can't make mistakes up in the zone, you have to expand the zone and find ways to stay efficient.”

Cole’s ERA is 2.24 through 1321/3 innings pitched. He has stayed healthy, as have the rest of the Pirates pitchers this season, and consistent. He has been through the division a few times and so far avoided regression, though the toll of the season’s fifth and sixth months, plus continued looks from opposing lineups, will challenge him. 

Pirates notebook: Sadler could miss the rest of the season; injury updates.

Coverage of the Nationals from the Washington Post.