Max Muncy 2-run homer ruins Gerrit Cole pitching gem in Dodgers' 2-1 win over Yankees

Gerrit Cole was pitching a gem in his first start against the Los Angeles Dodgers since the 2024 World Series.

Cole had pitched six scoreless innings, holding the Dodgers to 3 hits with 8 strikeouts and protecting a 1-0 lead.

But then the seventh inning began. Cole fell behind Mookie Betts on a three-balls, no-strikes count. He battled back with two called strikes to make it a full count, but then missed far outside with a 98 mph to walk Betts.

After 97 pitches and going through the Dodgers’ batting order for a third time, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ready to pull Cole. But after Boone came out to the mound, the 13-year veteran convinced his manager to stay in the game.

Facing Max Muncy, Cole got ahead on a zero-balls, two-strikes count. But the Dodgers’ third baseman stayed alive by fouling off a changeup and slider. With a 2-2 count, Cole then missed with a 91 mph slider, leaving it in the middle of the strike zone.

Muncy pounced on the gift from Cole, launching it into Yankee Stadium’s right-field second deck. And he knew he tagged that pitch hard, walking down the first-base line to watch the ball leave the park.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead and Cole’s night was over. It was likely little consolation to Cole that it wasn’t the worst inning he’s pitched against the Dodgers during the past two seasons.

Another bad inning for Cole facing the Dodgers

In Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, Cole was also off to a strong start with four hitless innings. But in the fifth, errors by Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe, followed by Cole failing to cover first base on a groundout, resulted in five unearned runs, wiping out a 5-0 Yankees lead.

The Dodgers eventually won the game — and the World Series — due largely to an inning that might still give Cole nightmares. Friday’s results may have been triggering.

Yankees have tying run thrown out at home in eighth inning

The Yankees thought they had the tying run in the eighth inning. Trent Grisham drew a one-out walk versus Alex Vesla after falling behind on an 0-2 count. Vesla then left an 85 mph slider in the middle of the zone to Ben Rice, who hit it deep to center field.

The ball caromed off the base of the wall in right-center field and was fielded by Andy Pages. Pages then fired a throw to Betts, who threw a relay to Dalton Rushing at home plate to get Grisham out.

Grisham was clearly out but the Yankees challenged the play, arguing that Rushing had blocked the plate and didn’t give the runner a lane to the plate. But review showed that wasn’t the case and the out call was upheld.

With first base open, Vesla intentionally walked Paul Goldschmidt to face Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers’ left-hander threw a 92 mph fastball in the high middle of the zone, but Bellinger flew out to center field to make the strategy pay off.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tanner Scott closed out the Dodgers’ 2-1 win by retiring Jasson Domínguez, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero in order. Caballero popped an outside slider up to second base to finish the game.

Roki Sasaki pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 1 unearned run and 5 hits with 5 strikeouts. The run came on a passed ball by Rushing in the fourth inning, but the Dodgers catcher arguably made up for that by tagging out Grisham in the eighth. Jack Dreyer picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the sixth and seventh.

With the Tampa Bay Rays losing 10-0 to the Boston Red Sox (Boston’s 11th consecutive win), the Yankees stay 2.5 games out of first place in the AL East. The Dodgers improved their MLB-best record to 62-36, holding a 12-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, pending their game versus the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.