Yesterday was the definition of a Pyrrhic victory for the Yankees, a 7-6 win that saw Michael King fracture his elbow and Aroldis Chapman continue to be unreliable. With three straight tough games in two days coming out of the All Star break, New York could use a laugher, and the ballclub has a good shot with Gerrit Cole on the mound against the Orioles tonight.
Cole has, once again, provided the mix of workhorse innings and high-ceiling performance that are asked of aces. Of the four topline pitching metrics — ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP — only his FIP is higher than last season, and his xFIP is the lowest of his career save for his otherworldly 2019 season, indicating that, if he can get his home run issues under control, he’s effectively the best pitcher in baseball.