By James Peacock

Gerrit Cole is typically all-business whenever he toes the slab at Yankee Stadium or elsewhere. He is largely expressionless, hellbent on rendering any and all opposing batters powerless to his whims. He was certainly that against the Mariners last night, but he also allowed himself a moment of good-natured trash talking, when he wagged his finger at the Mariners dugout after finishing the seventh inning.

After the game, the Yankee ace explained that it was a retaliatory petty gesture directed at the manager of the Mariners, Scott Servais. Whatever the reason, I’ll never get upset about Gerrit Cole strutting his stuff, especially when it’s in the midst of a gem like the one he had last night. Cole allowed four hits, walked one batter and struck out eight across seven and a third innings of one-hit ball against the M’s.

Frankly, it felt refreshing to see the Yankees win a game relatively comfortably, given how the last couple of weeks have gone. In a season that has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, and that is said with the experience of witnessing the past several rollercoaster seasons, Cole has been a rock. There have been few Yankees who routinely perform at the level that he does who also get criticized the way that he does. After last night’s start, Cole is 8-1 on the season, with a 2.64 ERA, 106 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP. That’s what an ace does.

Maybe it’s the money he makes, maybe it’s the intensive thirst for a World Series title, maybe its both…but there’s no disputing that Gerrit has been the man for the Yanks this year.