Gerrit Cole began the bottom of the 1st by allowing Homeruns to the first 3 batters — Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Croneworth, and Manny Machado — then pitched a brilliant shutout into the 7th, when he allowed a 4th HR — to Luis Campusano — for a 4-0 Padre lead.
And that final HR was what cost the Yanks, as they scored 3 runs against the Padre bullpen in the 8th inning, but got shut down by Mason Miller in the 9th for a 4-3 loss on a late afternoon in San Diego.
Former Yankee Michael King shut NY out for the first 6 innings. although the Yanks just missed some chances against him.
Spencer Jones got the Yanks on the board by ripping an RBI double down the 3rd-base line in the 7th, and next batter Amed Rosario beat out a Baltimore-chop single for an RBI — the ball thrown away by Padre reliever Adrian Morejon for another run and 4-3 game. But Jose Caballero was thrown out by Luis Campusano trying to steal 2nd in NY’s bid to get the tying run in scoring position.
“I gave up too many Homers in the 1st,” said Gerrit Cole afterwards. “I thought they put really good swings on the ball. I thought the curveball kind of squirted out to Tatis; I thought Machado took a great pitch out — unbelievable swing; and I thought Croneworth took a pretty good 2-1 fastball and put a good swing on it.”
When asked how he was able to turn it around, Cole said: “Sometimes it is what it is, and you have to separate that from doing your job, which is to continue to take it one pitch at a time and leave the mistakes behind you and go back to work.”
NY falls to 81-62, still 4 back of Tampa but only 2.5 ahead of Boston. SD improves to 75-68.
1. Cole Clobbered in 1st — then Dominates
Gerrit Cole has been pitching great ball — and did in this game — except for the first 3 batters.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK!
THREE straight homers to open the game for the @Padres! https://t.co/Nlsdahhst4 pic.twitter.com/dv4L6dTIyp
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2026
Cole got the next 3 outs, then allowed a single to Harris leading off the 2nd — that Jasson Dominguez misplayed in right — allowing Harris to go to 3rd with nobody out.
Cole buckled down and picked up The Martian — getting a groundout to shortstop that had the runner hold, a strikeout, and a pop out to end the inning.
It was the beginning of Cole retiring 15 of the next 16 batters — allowing just a 1-out single to Campusano in the 4th, and pitching a 1-2-3 shutout 5th and 6th.
Campusano got him again though — with a leadoff HR in the 7th for a 4-0 game. Cole then retired the next 3 in a row to end his night, down 4-0. His line: 7 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 K’s, 0 walks. He loses to go 8-8 3.41.
2. Yanks Had Chances Against King — But He Shuts ‘Em Out for 6
Michael King was tremendous: 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 3 K’s, 3 BB’s — he wins to go 10-9 3.00.
Michael King, Dirty 87mph Slider. ? pic.twitter.com/7RvWEbSNdJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 6, 2026
But the Yanks had their chances — due in part to those 3 walks they had 7 baserunners in the 6 innings.
They got back-to-back 1-out singles in the 2ne by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Dominguez — but King got the next 2 outs.
Luis Garcia Jr. led off the 4th with a single, and with 1 out Jazz Chisholm Jr. smoked one up the middle — but right at King who turned it into a doubleplay.
Jazz lines one back to Michael King who turns it into an inning-ending double play pic.twitter.com/WH3JGewpDg
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 6, 2026
In the 5th, George Lombard Jr. hit a 1-out double to right, and then Austin Wells and Ben Rice worked consecutive 2-out walks to load the bases, but Cody Bellinger flied out to the warning track in right.
Cody Bellinger flies out to the edge of the warning track and strands the bases loaded in the fifth pic.twitter.com/9wvd6Yt8Fv
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 6, 2026
Spencer Jones walked with 1 out in the 6th — but Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined out to center, and Jasson Dominguez hit a SHOT that was caught at 2nd.
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 6, 2026
3. S Jones RBI Double Highlights 3-run 7th
22-year-old, 6’2 righty Bradgley Rodriquez (with his 97-MPH fastball, 88-MPH changeup and 1.96 ERA) relieved King and pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 7th and so it was to the 8th, NY down 4-0 and things not looking good when lefty Adrian Morejon came in and struck out Ben Rice to begin the inning.
But Cody Bellinger reached on an infield single, Paul Goldschmidt walked, and lefty Spencer Jones ripped a double down the 3rd base line against the lefty Morejon for a 4-1 game. Next batter Amed Rosario beat out a Baltimore chop for an RBI single, and Morejon threw the ball away past the 1st baseman for a 2nd run and 4-3 game.
Jones & Rosario come through ? pic.twitter.com/twjyKvsfAZ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 6, 2026
Jose Caballero came in to pinch run for Rosario — and tried to steal 2nd to get himself into scoring position with 1 out — but was gunned down by a hair by Luis Campusano. Campusano had thrown out 3 runners the game before.
Jose Caballero pinch-ran and was called out on this steal but the Yankees are challenging pic.twitter.com/P5Pq6CDprK
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 6, 2026
4. Schreiber Good for Yanks in 8th
New Yankee John Schreiber — in his 3rd appearance as a Yankee — pitched a shutout 8th — walking Manny Machado with 2 outs but picking him off 1st.
5. Wells Works Walk, but Miller K’s Rice to End It
And so it was 4-3 San Diego to the 9th with Mason Miller to the mound.
Miller’s fastball was hitting 102 and his slider was 89 as he struck out George Lombard Jr. and Ryan McMahon to begin the inning.
Austin Wells worked a 3-2 walk, and Ben Rice took the count 3-2 as well — before taking a slider for a strike and the old ballgame.
Mason Miller’s 3Ks in the 9th pic.twitter.com/cwoM5DEw5G
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 6, 2026
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