Gerrit Cole pitched well, striking out eight batters over six innings, while Juan Soto had a perfect 4-for-4 game to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
Cole, who has been strong since returning from elbow inflammation, allowed just one run and six hits. He threw 103 pitches and walked one batter, marking his second consecutive outing reaching the 100-pitch mark.
“I had a good mix of pitches tonight and once we took the lead, I focused on attacking the strike zone,” Cole commented. He has now won three of his last four starts with an ERA of 2.95 during that stretch.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Cole’s performance, saying, “It was a great way to start after the All-Star break. Our ace went out there and set the tone by allowing just one run over six innings. He was sharp and had multiple ways to get hitters out tonight.”
Juan Soto had a standout night, reaching base five times. He capitalized on his familiarity with Rays starter Zach Eflin, collecting three hits including a bunt single that contributed to New York’s four-run third inning. Soto also doubled and scored on two Rays errors in the same inning.
Reflecting on his success against Eflin, whom he faced frequently during Eflin’s time with the Phillies and Soto’s with the Nationals, Soto said, “I see mistakes and I take advantage of them. He made a few mistakes tonight and I was able to capitalize.”
Soto continued his impressive game with a double in the sixth inning, scoring on an RBI single by Aaron Judge. This marked Soto’s second four-hit game since joining the Yankees in a trade last December. His batting average rose from .295 to .303 after the game.
