Yanks Blow Great Cole Performance; Lose by “This” Much. LA 2 NY 1

July 18, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Trent Grisham came 'this close' to tying game in 8th -- but was out at plate after Ben Rice's shot missed being a HR by 'this much'.

Gerrit Cole pitched a masterpiece into the 7th inning — throwing a 1-0 shutout — but allowed a walk and a 2-run HR to Max Muncy and NY went down to defeat 2-1 to the Dodgers on a summer Friday night at Yankee Stadium — the mild remanence of the Canadian wild fire smoke still in the air.

Manager Aaron Boone came out to the mound after the walk (to Mookie Betts on a 3-2 pitch) and — with Cole at 96 pitches — asked him if he had one more batter in him. Cole said ‘yea’ — then went 0-2 on Muncy and just missed striking him out on a 1-2 pitch — which replays showed was a strike but NY didn’t challenge.

In the 8th, Ben Rice hit what looked like it was going to be a 2-run HR to put the Yanks ahead — but the ball hit the bottom of the wall near the 385-foot sign in right center, and Trent Grisham was thrown out at the plate by “this” much.

NY had taken a 1-0 lead in the 4th on a double by Jasson Dominguez that he legged into 3 bases on an error by LA’s centerfielder Andy Pages, then scored on a wild pitch by Dodger starter Roki Sasaki.

Overall a very frustrating loss.

“Stinks,” said Gerrit Cole afterwards. “The 3-0 count to Betts puts us against the wall, and I didn’t make a pitch 3-2 — I didn’t make those pitches that inning and it cost us.”

“That’s on me, I should have got him there,” said Boone. “I said ‘you got one more in you?” and he said “yea” but sometimes you got to take it out of their hands.”

NY drops to 54-43, but actually pulls to 2.5 behind Tampa, which lost a doubleheader to the Red Sox. LA improves to 62-36.

1. The Martian Puts Yanks Up 1-0 on Sasaki

It was a pitchers’ duel from the start — 24-year-old Roki Sasaki vs Gerrit Cole.

Sasaki was brilliant — throwing 102-MPH heat with a tough 91-MPH slider and gross 93-MPH splitter.

The Yanks got some baserunners on Sasaki nonetheless — Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a 2-out single in the 2nd, Trent Grisham with a 2-out walk in the 3rd.

With 2 outs in the 4th, Jasson Dominguez ripped a double to right center that Dodger centerfielder Andy Pages mishandled — and The Martian raced to 3rd base.

The Martian then scored on a wild pitch by Sasaki for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

NY went out in order in the 5th but a 1-out single by Ben Rice and 2-out single by Cody Bellinger sent Sasaki to the showers, relieved by Jack Dreyer — a 27-year-old, 6’2 lefty — who struck out The Martian for the last out of the 6th — NY still up 1-0. Because of that Sasaki would not get the win — when he left, Cole was winning the pitchers’ duel.

2. Cole Brilliant — But Faced One Batter Too Many in 7th

Meanwhile — good news for the Yanks — Gerrit Cole was brilliant, and looks fully back from Tommy John surgery.

He had his explosive, easy-motion-delivery 98-MPH fastball, 85-MPH knuckle curve, and 88-MPH changeup working to great effect. A master on the mound.

Cole pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st (striking out 2), then allowed 2 consecutive singles after 2 were out in the 2nd — but got a strikeout to end the inning.

In the 3rd — Shohei Ohtani came “this close” to hitting a HR to right — but it was a fly out to the wall for the 2nd out. Cole then allowed a 2-out single to Andy Pages but struck out Freddie Freeman.

Cole pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, 5th, and 6th — retiring 10 straight batters. He struck out Freeman 3 times in 3 at bats.

And then to the top of the 7th — NY up 1-0 — when Cole went 3-0 on Mookie Betts — came back with 2 strikes, but walked him on a 3-2 fastball that just missed.

Boone came out and asked Cole if he had one more batter in him, and Cole said ‘yea’ so Boone to let him pitch to Max Muncy. Cole went 0-2 on Muncy — then ‘just missed’ on a 1-2 pitch that appeared to be strike 3. But NY didn’t challenge. Muncy fouled off 2 pitches to work the count to 2-2 — and then hit a 90-MPH slider 416 feet to right for a 2-run HR and 2-1 Dodger lead.

Baseball analyst Mike Daddino had this to say:

3. Yank Pen Throws 3 Shutout Innings

The Yankee pen was exceptional as usual.

  • Brent Headrick relieved Cole in the 7th and got the next 3 batters out.
  • Fernando Cruz allowed a leadoff double in the top of the 8th, but then got popout, strikeout, and fly out for a shutout inning.
  • Paul Blackburn pitched a shutout top of the 9th, allowing a 1-out walk but getting a doubleplay.

4. Rice Came “This Close” to Winning It

Jack Dreyer continued to pitch well after getting the last out of the 6th — throwing a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th.

The Dodgers brought in 30-year-old, 6’1 lefty Alex Vesia for the 8th, with LA up 2-1.

Vesia got Amed Rosario to ground out, but Trent Grisham worked a walk, and Ben Rice hit what looked like it was going to be a 2-run HR to right center — Dave Sims called it as such on the radio — but it hit off the bottom of the wall near the 385-foot mark — and Trent Grisham was gunned down at the plate by “this much”.

The Yanks still had the tying run on 2nd in Rice — with 1 out — and Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked to put 2 runners on. But Cody Bellinger flied out to center to end the threat.

Tanner Scott — a 30-year-old, 6’2 lefty and Ace of the Dodger pen — pitched the bottom of the 9th for LA. He got The Martian to line out to 3rd, struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr., and got Jose Caballero to pop out for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401816142

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