NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole shook off rare control problems to pitch four-hit ball over seven innings and give the Yankees their most dominant stretch of starting pitching in 89 years, leading New York over the Chicago White Sox 7-0 Saturday for a five-game winning streak.
Cole (6-2) allowed four singles, struck out seven and walked as many as three for the first time since Aug. 31. Rebounding from his worst outing this season, he lowered his ERA to 1.81 and ended the day with a 100.8 mph fastball that Andrew Vaughn took for a called third strike, Cole’s fastest pitch this season and the fourth-fastest of his big league career.
Cole extended the scoreless streak by Yankees starters to 30 innings.
“They’ve been terrific,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, this run, they’re on right now is really impressive.”
Following Corey Kluber’s no-hitter at Texas and outings by Domingo Germán’s against the Rangers and Jordan Montgomery in Friday night’s series opener, Cole gave the Yankees four straight starts of seven shutout innings for the first time since May 11-16, 1932 (Johnny Allen vs. the St. Louis Browns, George Pipgras and Red Ruffing vs. Chicago and Lefty Gomez vs. Cleveland).
“It’s a lot of fun to play behind guys when they’re throwing the ball they way they have in the last few days,” New York center fielder Brett Gardner said.
Cole’s lack of control was unusual. He walked five in 57 2/3 innings coming in and had a record streak of 61 strikeouts between walks. Cole issued three walks for the second time since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract before the 2020 season.
“I think maybe a couple of calls that he didn’t get up in the strike zone,” Boone said. “But I think he made adjustments, coupled with, in that first inning or two, he was finding his…
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