Yanks need Cole in ‘postseason form’

The question to Gerrit Cole concerned “midseason form,” and the Yankees’ $301.3-million man, apparently a thinker about language as well as pitching, messed around a little while making his point.

“Midseason form is not the goal. Midseason form is midseason form,” Cole said Friday, before the Yankees split a doubleheader against the Orioles. “We want the best at the end of the season. Postseason form. That’s what we want.”

Cole, whose month-bymonth history lacks the sort of clear categorization that we like — “Slow starter,” “Slow finisher” or whatever — will bring a 3.91 ERA into his start Saturday, his ninth as a Yankee.

His recent struggles have contributed to the Yankees’ malaise, and the Yankees probably can survive some growing pains and still qualify for this forgiving 2020 playoff system. Yet for the Yankees to possess any shot of turning these September lemons into October champagne, they’ll need Cole to make a considerable leap:

From COVID-season mode to postseason mode.

“I think I’ve said it a few times to where [eight] starts in, you’re typically anticipating another 24, 23 starts,” Cole said. “But we don’t really have that luxury this year.”

Following his most recent start, a 5-3 loss to the Rays at Yankee Stadium on Monday night — his second consecutive loss — Cole lamented, “Whenever I’m over the plate, the hitter is very certain of what’s coming.” That dusted off nobody’s favorite baseball espionage story, pitch-tipping, which Cole thankfully dismissed on Friday, saying, “I didn’t find anything substantial there.”

As for his four-seam fastball, which has been getting hit far harder and missed far less often than usual, Cole said: “I see exactly what you’re talking about. Part of that is a product, I feel like, of guys being ready for the pitch. Missing in a bad spot. And maybe not catching a break a couple times. But there’s room for improvement there.