The Yankees didn’t get the Gerrit Cole they expected for much of the season thanks to the inflamed elbow that sidelined him until mid-June.
And even after his return, the results were mostly nothing like what they were a year ago, when Cole won his first Cy Young Award.
But based on his last two outings — and four of his previous five — the right-hander has returned to top form just in time for the postseason.
Cole helped the Yankees seal the AL East title with 6²/₃ scoreless innings in a 10-1 win over Baltimore in The Bronx.
It followed a complete-game win in Oakland in which Cole allowed just a pair of hits and a walk.
“There were some ups and downs this year and I tried to plug along and give us a chance to win,’’ Cole said. “Tonight was fun. You have a chance to win a division and it’s special to be out there. It’s the best feeling. The stakes are high.”
Cole kept the playoff-bound Orioles without a hit until Ramon Urias grounded a ball through the right side of the infield with two outs in the fifth.
When he left in the seventh, Cole had again given up two hits and walked only one, as he outdueled Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes.
Those types of performances were not as common earlier in the year, when Cole occasionally battled command issues and lacked his typical dominant stuff.
Before the game, Aaron Boone called this season “unique” for Cole “because he’s been so durable through his career. Having to navigate the injury early on and processing that and what that meant, for the first couple months, he was out of his normal in-season routine.”
He’s been significantly better since being skipped a start in Philadelphia in late July with general body fatigue.
Outside of the seven-run disaster against the Red Sox and Rafael Devers on Sept. 14, Cole has been solid to excellent.
He walked off the field to a standing ovation in The Bronx, with the expectation for similar performances in the playoffs.
“That’s what you want as a player: the division is there for the taking,’’ Cole said. “You’ve got to go out there and get it.”
He did that by pitching into the seventh inning, even with the game out of reach.
Cole said he did that with the playoffs in mind.
“I’ve got to get prepared,’’ Cole said. “I expect to throw 110 [pitches] in about a week.”
And he left his manager impressed.
“Losing two tough games and wanting to get this thing done, there was some pressure going into today,’’ Boone said. “His Yankee career has been outstanding and he’s had several moments of truth and answered the bell.”
Perhaps the lighter workload will prove beneficial in the postseason, as Cole appears to be hitting his stride at a perfect time.
The ace of the staff wasn’t hearing it: “I’d still rather have over 200 innings at this point.”
