Gerrit Cole’s brilliance can sometimes make it easy for one to take him for granted. He struck out eight Blue Jays on Opening Day, but allowed a pair of runs in 5.1 innings, so it was only an adequate outing. Hell, the man himself slammed the bench in frustration after leaving the mound. He holds himself to a higher standard.
Well, Cole certainly wasn’t destroying any equipment after Tuesday night’s game. Facing a less menacing bird-oriented lineup, the 30-year-old right-hander was simply overpowering. He tied his career-high in pinstripes by striking out 13 Orioles, matching his total in the AL Wild Card Game against Cleveland.