He received a standing ovation and high-fives in the dugout from his teammates after his night was over after 62 pitches.
Aaron Boone had seen enough, and Yankees fans had seen enough to imagine what October can look like once Gerrit Cole has rounded into form.
His Cy Young form. Or something that figures to be close enough as long as his elbow does not betray him.
On this night, one big Cy of relief.
The ace aced his 2024 debut.
“Good command for the most part,” Cole said. “Made some good pitches when we needed to make some good pitches.”
A Cedric Mullins leadoff single in the fifth sealed his fate. It was the first hit Cole (one walk, five strikeouts) had yielded since a shaky first inning. He temporarily became the pitcher of record when Ron Marinaccio surrendered a two-run HR to Ramon Urias.
But his teammates had his back, wouldn’t let him be the loser on a night when Aaron Judge (hand) was forced to watch Clay Holmes surrender a pair of runs in the 10th in a 7-6 Orioles win.
Giancarlo Stanton had crushed a three-run homer in the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-4. Alex Verdugo made a running backhand catch up against the wall in center on an Anthony Santander blast with the bases loaded in the ninth to keep it 5-4. Stanton singled in Anthony Volpe in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel and it was 5-5. And two Orioles were plunked following the Judge scare.
Aaron Boone was hopeful that Cole could temper the inevitable adrenaline that would accompany his season debut.
Boone sensed that Cole was fatigued by the end of the fourth and had no intention of letting him exceed 65 pitches.
“I thought he got better as he went,”’ Boone said.
Only Cole’s first steps were troublesome.
“It was kind of a special game for me,” Cole said. “It’s just been a long few months and a lot of emotions. I wasn’t too sure how I was gonna feel out there. Locating the ball always quells the nerves a little bit.”
In the first, Gunnar Henderson smashed a leadoff double off Gleyber Torres’ glove and came home when Ryan O’Hearn drilled an 0-2 slider to left for an RBI double.
Cole extended a congratulatory glove to Volpe for his shortstop stabbing a searing one-hopper from the seat of his pants and getting up to nail Urias on a one-hopper to first baseman Ben Rice to end the second inning.
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Cole struck out the side in the third. He fanned Jorge Mateo leading off on a 92 mph cutter. And got Adley Rutschman looking on a called 3-2 knuckle curve with Henderson at second. After getting a called strike on a 3-1 changeup. And excused Ryan Mountcastle on a slider.
“I got a swing and miss on every offering,” Cole said.
Boone had gotten Marinaccio up in the bullpen in the fourth. Then Cole struck out Santander on a 95 mph four-seamer up in the zone and Colton Cowser on a 96 mph four-seamer.
“He’s one of those guys that every time he starts it’s must-see TV,” Verdugo said.
Cy Young winners in their prime always are.