It took a career-high 116 pitches for the 24-year-old right-hander to work seven innings, but every time he had to get an out, he got an out. That's what the best pitchers do and now Cole is putting himself on the (very) short list of those treasured commodities.
More than a third of the way through the regular season, Cole has been the difference between a Pirates team capable of going deep into the postseason and a disappointing one. They are 9-3 when he starts and 22-22 otherwise, with him delivering the type of impact that had made him UCLA's Friday night starter.