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Gerrit Cole's gem and Juan Soto's late heroics lead the Yankees to victory

OAKLAND, Calif. – The last time Gerrit Cole was on the mound before Friday, he was unbeatable at first and then made the “Intentional Walk Heard 'Round the World” that sent his performance into a tailspin.

After five long days of waiting to get back on the field and much deliberation in between, Cole finally got a chance at redemption – as much as one can get against one of the worst teams in the league.

The result was his best start of the year, in which he pitched until the seventh inning for the first time this season – and then again in the eighth and ninth.

Gerrit Cole was brilliant in the Yankees' 4-2 win in 10 innings against the A's on September 20, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

And it was only after Cole had completed nine innings that his offense finally came to life – thanks to some heroics from Juan Soto – and was rewarded with the victory.

Soto, who was taken out of the game about two hours before the first pitch because of soreness in his left knee, played a key role in the Yankees' three-run rally at the start of the 10th inning that helped them to a 4-2 victory over the A's in front of 23,426 spectators at the Coliseum.

“That's the Cy Young,” Soto, whose RBI double in the 10th inning made it 3-1, said of Cole. “That's the Cy Young going out there. Never doubt his ability and how great he is. It's just great to watch him do it. It was a little tough because we couldn't score any runs to back him up, but I'm definitely excited to see what he can do in nine innings.”

Cole's 99-pitch, two-hit performance helped reduce the Yankees' magic number and bring the AL East title to five games. The Orioles also won on Friday and are four games back with eight games remaining.

“Just an outstanding performance,” Aaron Boone said of Cole. “I'm proud of him.”

After Cole threw his final pitch of the night – he said he felt he still had enough strength to get on the field for the 10th inning, but was quickly stopped by Boone – the score was still 1-1.

Juan Soto celebrates the Yankees' victory after his pinch-hit RBI double in the 10th inning. Getty Images

But the Yankees (90-64) quickly took the lead at the beginning of the 10th inning.

Anthony Rizzo led off with a single that moved automatic runner Jasson Dominguez to third base and gave him the opportunity to score the winning run on a passed ball.

This happened during an at-bat by Soto, who was filling in for Trent Grisham as a pinch hitter after spending the evening on the bench because his left knee was swollen and sore from slamming it into the right outfield wall during a catch on Thursday in Seattle.

But Soto delivered, hitting an RBI double to left field to make the lead 3-1, at which point he was replaced by a pinch-runner.

Anthony Volpe, who had three hits, hits an RBI single in the fifth inning to score Anthony Rizzo in the Yankees' win. Getty Images

“Showman-like,” Cole said. “He loves the moment, man, he loves it.”

Anthony Volpe added an RBI single – his third hit and second RBI of the night – to make it 4-1 and gave Luke Weaver some more breathing room as he ended the game in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The A's (67-87) scored the automatic runner with a single against Weaver, but he struck out the next three batters for his third save of the season.

While winning the division remains the top priority heading into the final week of the season, it is also critical to the Yankees' playoff hopes that Cole gets back on track and pitches as usual in October.

Cole had been pitching well of late until last Saturday when an intentional walk by his nemesis Rafael Devers (with one out and no one on base in the fourth inning of a game in which the Yankees were leading 1-0) resulted in a flop.

This made the wait until Friday's start feel a little longer, but Cole was relieved after his dominant performance on Friday.

“I was excited to pitch today because I had a chance to do something positive for the team,” said Cole, who had seven strikeouts. “We stayed on offense even though it was a close game.”

In the Yankees' win, Gerrit Cole held the A's to one run in nine innings. AP

Cole struck out the first nine batters he faced on just 33 pitches before Lawrence Butler opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a single past Rizzo.

Butler then stole second base, allowing him to take a 1-0 lead with a two-out, two-strike single from Shea Langeliers down the left side.

But the Yankees came right back and tied the game early in the fifth inning by starting a comeback with two outs.

Rizzo got a full-count walk and then got to third base on a single the other way from Grisham – a late addition to the lineup for Soto – before Volpe went the other way and singled to tie the score at 1-1.

By Vanessa

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