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Cole Throws 6 Scoreless Innings in Return, Rays Rally Past Yankees 4-2
Cole returned with six scoreless innings, but a four-run eighth gave Tampa Bay its 16th win in 19 games.
On Friday, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole returned from a 569-day absence to pitch six scoreless innings, but the team fell 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Cole's comeback followed Tommy John surgery on March 11, 2025, and a rehab path featuring two spring training outings and six minor league rehabilitation starts beginning April 17.
The 35-year-old right-hander threw 72 pitches, allowing just two hits and three walks, while catcher Austin Wells provided an early 1-0 lead with a fifth-inning homer off Nick Martinez.
Tampa Bay rallied for four runs in the eighth inning after shortstop Jose Caballero committed a fielding error, securing the Rays' 16th win in 19 games.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge remains in a 1-for-24 slump, leaving the team 5.5 games back in the AL East, while Cole prepares to start again next week in Kansas City.