YANKS LOSE GAME, GERRIT
After being bashed by Birds, Bombers say Cole has COVID, will miss tonight’s start
The Yankees returned to the Bronx Monday night excited about their new look after the trade deadline. They showed up at the Stadium, however, only to find they had to deal with more of the same old 2021 gut punches. After getting beat up by the lowly Orioles 7-1 Monday night, Aaron Boone announced that Gerrit Cole has tested positive for COVID-19 and was scratched from Tuesday’s start.
“As of now he’s the only one,” the Yankees manager said. “I was actually told (in) the second inning so I don’t know of anyone else.”.
This is the third COVID-19 hit for the Yankees this season. They had a big outbreak of breakthrough cases (vaccinated individuals testing positive) in May. That included one player, Gleyber Torres, plus three coaches and several support personnel in the traveling party. Weeks later, the team said Torres’ case was a false positive.
After the All-Star break, the Yankees had six players on the COVID-19 injured list, including slugger Aaron Judge and third baseman Gio Urshela.
“It’s definitely tough, it’s been a tough year,” catcher Gary Sanchez said. “We get this news of Cole and Domingo German also out with an injury. It has not been easy at all. But that being said, whoever is going to start the game tomorrow … you got to find a way to turn the page and keep fighting.”
Sanchez said he was just informed of the Cole news after the game and he had not been told of any further protocols or contact tracing. Joey Gallo, after playing in his first game in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium, said he only learned as he waited in the media room as Sanchez spoke.
“I just found that out, just because I heard them asking Gary those questions,” Gallo said. “We’re just gonna follow protocol, and see where it goes from there. Obviously hoping the best for Gerrit.”
It was another punch to the gut in a season full of them for the Yankees (56-49), who are battling to stay in the playoff hunt. Andrew Heaney got hit hard in his Yankee debut, allowing a career-high four home runs in four innings of work. The lefty the Yankees acquired from the Angels at the deadline gave up four home runs in a span of six batters. He allowed four home runs, six hits and struck out four in four innings of work. The only other time in his career that Heaney allowed four homers was Aug. 18, 2017 also against the Orioles, when he gave up two to Manny Machado and one each to Mark Trumbo and Caleb Joseph.
And the Bombers’ offense was as feeble as it has been since before the trade deadline, when the Yankees added sluggers Gallo and Anthony Rizzo. They managed three hits, but also drew seven walks and could not muster more than a run. It was their 11th straight game of scoring no more than four runs.
Gallo’s double to lead off the sixth broke up Jorge Lopez’s no-hit bid. The Orioles’ previously struggling right-hander had already given up a run in the fifth on Anthony Rizzo’s sacrifice fly bringing in Gleyber Torres, who was hitting the lowest in the lineup (8th) since 2018 after going 2-for-26 on the road trip. While still productive, it was Rizzo’s first game out of four with the Yankees without a hit.
DJ LeMahieu, who had been so clutch hitting with runners in scoring position in his first two seasons (.384) with the team, went 0-for-2 in those situations Monday night and is 20-for-81 on this season with RISP. The Yankees were 0-for-10.
“I thought Lopez was really good. He has really good stuff and he’s making his pitches, and I think sometimes that’s how baseball goes,” Gallo said. “We’ll go out tomorrow, bounce back and whatnot. But he really had his good stuff today, so you kind of tip your hat and try to move on to the next game.”
They’ll have to try do it Tuesday without their ace.