Monty Out-Duels Gerrit Cole. St. Louis 5 NY 1

July 3, 2023 paperbacklou 2023 0

Jordan Montgomery pitched a no hitter until 2 outs in the 6th and out-dueled Gerrit Cole to beat the Yankees on a Sunday afternoon in St. Louis, 5-1.

Figures.

The former Yank who was traded to St. Louis a year ago at the trade deadline for centerfielder Harrison Bader, stuck it to the Yankees and stuck it to them good.

It was a pitcher’s duel and 2-0 game until the 7th.

Monty, who always pitched well but had trouble getting the win in NY, and has done the same thing in St Louis — got the win. He goes to 6-7 3.28; Cole falls to 8-2 2.79, but was named to the American League All Star team after the game.

“That’s Monty at his best,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “I thought he was excellent. He’s got that tough angle when he’s got his sinker, curve, change going. I thought he executed a lot today and made it tough on us.”

NY falls to 46-38 — still 9.5 behind Tampa, and now 4 behind Baltimore. Toronto stays 1.5 behind. It would have been a good day to win and pick up ground. St Louis improves to 35-48.

1. Cole Sharp

Cole was his All Star self, with his crisp, blistering 98 to 100 MPH fastball, and off speed pitches looking crisp.

He started off slowly — a leadoff single to Brendan Donovan and then a walk to Lars Nootbaar, but Donovan tried to steal 3rd and was gunned down by Jose Trevino.

 

Cole then cruised into the 4th when he got into some more trouble.

Nolan Arenado led off with a double, and then single, single, lineout single, put 2 runs on the board. Cole got a grounder that Anthony Volpe turned a 6-4-3 double play on to end the inning.

After that, Cole regained his stride, pitching a shutout 5th and 6th and finishing strong, striking out 2 in the 6th.

“I thought it was a solid day,” said Cole afterwards about his performance. “Made a lot of good pitches. Made couple of mistakes and battled through that 4th inning. Outside of Nolan putting a good swing, I was creating the type of soft contact we were looking for it just wasn’t on the ground; it was floating over the infield.”

“Today the story was Montgomery,” added Cole. “I got out-pitched. He was outstanding today, moving the ball well and having it for a long time. When he’s on he’s really tough. So that is what we had to deal with today and unfortunately I wasn’t good enough to be able to hold them down quite enough.”

2. Monty Sharper

Monty was sharp — the big 6’5 lefty using his overhand curve to dramatic effect — with his 96-MPH sinker and 88-MPH off speed pitches keeping the Yankees off balance and stifled on no hits thru 5 innings.

The Yanks looked like they were getting to Monty in the 3rd when Oswaldo Cabrera walked with 1 out in the 0-0 tie, and then DJ LeMahieu walked to put 1st and 2nd only 1 out.

But ball 4 high was called a strike and LeMahieu didn’t walk. LeMahieu swung at the next pitch high to protect the plate and popped up. Boone vehemently argued the strike call from the dugout and was tossed.

“I feel like DJ works a walk there, and you know, it’s a big point in that game,” said Boone afterwards. “1st and 2nd, 1 out — all of a sudden now in an inning where he’s throwing a lot of pitches maybe it turns a little different.”

3. Yanks Get to Monty in the 7th

Gleyber Torres got a 2-out double in the 6th to finally break up the Monty no hitter.

In the 7th, Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out but reached 1st on a passed ball with 1 out. Anthony Volpe bunted Kiner-Falefa to 2nd, and Jake Bauers ripped a double to make it a 2-1 game and send Monty to the showers.

St. Louis didn’t have anyone warming up, so delayed the game to get former Yankee Giovanny Gallegos into the game.

With the tying run on 2nd, pinch hitter Billy McKinney struck out on 3 pitches against Gallegos.

4. Live and Die by Jimmy  Cordero

Jimmy Cordero came in for the bottom of the 7th and immediately allowed a single and 2-run homer to Brendan Donovan — like ice water poured over hopeful Yankee fans at home.

In the 8th, St Louis leading 4-1, Cordero allowed a leadoff single to Dylan Carlson, threw a wild pitch to allow Carlson to go to 2nd, but then struck out the next 2 batters — however, the last strikeout was in the dirt and Kyle Higashioka — in the game at catcher after Jose Trevino was pinch-hit for by McKinney in the 7th — threw the ball away trying to throw out the runner at 1st — Carlson scored and it was St. Louis 5 NY 1.

That pretty much did it.

5. Final Resistance

In the 9th against Cardinals’ ace reliever Jordan Hicks and his 102 MPH heat, the Yanks mounted a 2-0ut comeback — an Anthony Volpe single and Jake Bauers walk. NY needed one more baserunner to bring the tying run — Anthony Rizzo in the on-deck circle — to the plate.

But Kyle Higashioka grounded out on the 2nd pitch to him — a 102-MPH sinker — for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401472276

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