Gerrit Cole pitched to a new catcher Saturday against the Royals, but the results were largely the same for the red-hot Yankees ace.
Working with Ben Rortvedt for the first time, Cole overpowered the young Kansas City lineup with 10 strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a 5-2 Yankees win in the Bronx. Cole exited in the seventh inning with the game tied, 2-2, and DJ LeMahieu led off the bottom of the frame with a go-ahead solo home run that proved to be the difference.
Giancarlo Stanton added a two-run blast in the eighth inning to complete the Yankees’ scoring.
Saturday marked Cole’s second consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts and fourth overall this season. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last nine starts — a stretch in which he’s hurled at least six innings in all but one outing.
The sharp performance was the latest in a standout season for Cole, who started this month’s All-Star Game for the American League. He boasts a 9-2 record, a 2.78 ERA and 144 strikeouts over 129.1 innings, putting him squarely in the discussion for his first AL Cy Young Award.
The Yankees called up Rortvedt on Friday to replace catcher Jose Trevino, who is set to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a tear in his right wrist. Trevino, who won the Platinum Glove Award last year as baseball’s best defensive player, had operated as Cole’s primary catcher throughout this season.
Cole and Rortvedt spent extra time together Friday preparing for Saturday’s start, manager Aaron Boone said. Boone expects Rortvedt — whom the Yankees acquired from the Twins in the 2022 trade that brought Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa — to split catching duties with Kyle Higashioka.
The Yankees manufactured offense early Saturday in their second consecutive win over the Royals, who, at 28-72, are the second-worst team in baseball. Stanton began the scoring with a first-inning RBI single against Kansas City starter Brady Singer. In the third inning, Anthony Volpe doubled, stole third base and scored on a Gleyber Torres sacrifice fly.
The Royals’ runs against Cole came on a Nick Pratto third-inning home run and a Maikel Garcia RBI single in the fifth.
Wandy Peralta (3-1) picked up the win for the Yankees after retiring two batters in relief of Cole. Tommy Kahnle tossed a scoreless eighth inning and Clay Holmes closed out the ninth for his 13th save. Royals reliever Carlos Hernandez, who surrendered the LeMahieu homer, took the loss to fall to 0-6.
Saturday’s win clinched the first series victory of July for the Yankees, who won Friday’s game, 5-4. New York had lost nine of 11 games coming into the Royals series and was fresh off a 1-5 road trip against the Rockies and Angels.
New York (52-47) will go for the sweep Sunday with Luis Severino pitching against Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles, who is 1-11 with a 6.05 ERA this season.
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