PITTSBURGH — Against the backdrop of the Roberto Clemente bridge, Gerrit Cole was giving the Pittsburgh Pirates hope Sunday.
It was a humid afternoon, and the Pirates’ game against the Dodgers was more than three hours away. The PNC Park bullpens were empty save for Cole, a catcher, a coach, and a trainer watching the former UCLA and Orange Lutheran star throw off a mound for the first time in weeks.
As much as the world noticed Cole a year ago, when he went 19-8 with a 2.60 earned-run average, Pittsburgh notices his absence even more right now.