Send in the cavalry
Cole, Yanks shelled ahead of deadline
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the Yankees look to remake their roster prior to Friday’s trade deadline, their current team played its worst game of the year — and their ace stunk.
Looking to complete a series sweep of the Rays on the same day they completed a trade for slugger Joey Gallo, the Yankees saw Gerrit Cole get pounded in a 14-0 loss at Tropicana Field.
Cole allowed a season-high eight runs — seven earned — in 5 ¹/3 innings, as his ERA rose to season-high 3.11.
“This one’s on me,’’ Cole said. “It’s gonna be real hard [to sweep] when your starter puts you down 4-0 in the first.”
He had plenty of company in the Yankees’ worst shutout loss since a 16-0 drubbing by the Tigers on Aug. 27, 2007.
One-time prospect Albert Abreu followed Cole by allowing six runs — and three homers — without retiring a batter in the Rays’ 10-run sixth inning, and the Yankees’ offense was held to four singles.
In a sign of things to come, Brandon Lowe hit Cole’s first pitch of the day into the stands in right. Initially called a home run, the umpires reversed themselves and ruled it foul before reviewing the play, which confirmed it was a foul ball. It didn’t matter. Lowe reached on an infield hit and Ji-Man Choi followed with a walk. A Yandy Diaz single to center drove in Lowe for the Rays’ first run.
Austin Meadows then drilled a three-run shot to right-center to make it 4-0.
After giving up four runs without recording an out, Cole got the next three batters to end the 26-pitch inning.
Cole settled down and allowed just one hit over the next four innings, but was shaky again in the sixth.
The Rays loaded the bases with one out on singles by Meadows and Randy Arozarena and a walk to Wander Franco.
Following a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, Kevin Kiermaier hit a fly ball to deep left. Brett Gardner caught up to it, but dropped the ball, saying while he didn’t lose the ball in the lights, he lost track of the ball while chasing it down.
Two runs scored on the play, which was ruled a sacrifice fly and an error by Gardner.
“It’s very frustrating for me,’’ Gardner said. “Even when things aren’t going well at the plate, I take pride in my defense. I make that play, maybe Gerrit gets out of the inning and it’s still a five-run game.”
Cole was replaced by Abreu, who walked Mike Zunino before Brett Phillips put the game away with a grand slam.
The Yankees were shut out for the sixth time this season, as 21-year-old Tampa Bay right-hander Luis Patino tossed six scoreless innings.
“We’re at the point of the season when sometimes winning series isn’t enough,’’ Gardner said.
They seemed to be in good position to do so Thursday, but now Cole has a 5.35 ERA in his last six starts (20 earned runs and six homers in 33 2/3 innings).
He followed up a subpar outing in Boston (three runs in five innings) with an even worse performance against the Yankees’ other AL East rivals.
And it’s the second consecutive appearance Cole’s pitched poorly versus Tampa Bay.
In his previous game against the Rays, he allowed five runs in five innings. He’s 1-3 with a 5.11 ERA facing the Rays this season and is 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA in nine starts against Tampa Bay as a Yankee, including the postseason.
At this point, the Yankees have a lot of work to do if they want to get Cole another shot at Tampa Bay in the playoffs.
Asked if he believed his team was good enough to make the playoffs even without another move before Friday’s deadline, Aaron Boone said: “Absolutely. Clearly, we have a little bit of an uphill battle. We’ve got to play really good baseball to give ourselves a chance to get into the dance. There’s no question in my mind if we get hot at the right time, we can play with and beat anyone in this sport.”