Gerrit Cole dominates vs Cards -- except for the exploding rosin bag
Pirates beat St. Louis 7-1, trimming their deficit in the NL Central. But about the rosin bags at Busch Stadium...
By
Dave Brown
•
1 min read
It sounds funny to say, but it's true. As a 12-year-old boy growing up in southern California, Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole attended Game 7 of the 2002 World Series -- started by John Lackey, then of the Angels. Cole got his first chance to pitch against Lackey on Sunday night when the Bucs visited Busch Stadium to wrap up a three-game set with the Cardinals.
Cole outperformed his cherished boyhood memory, allowing two hits over seven scoreless innings in a 7-1 victory that closed Pittsburgh's gap on St. Louis to 5 1/2 games in the NL Central. Cole had strong stuff deep into his appearance, registering 99 mph on his 94th pitch. He lowered his ERA to 2.54, ninth in the majors. Cole also drove in an insurance run -- his first RBI of the season -- with a bloop single in the seventh.
Everything went Cole's way, until:
The old exploding rosin bag trick. Gets 'em every time.
Lackey, who has been terrific most of the season, pitched OK, allowing three runs and 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings. Lackey, somewhat surprisingly, was charitable about Cole having been in the stands when the Angels beat the Giants in the World Series. Via the Associated Press:
Asked how it felt to know now that Cole was pulling for him in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants, Lackey said: ''I guess I've been around a while. I knew he went to UCLA so he probably grew up an Angels fan. That's cool.''
Lackey's mood was OK because the rosin bag didn't explode in his face, like it did with Cole.
COUGH. Aw, somebody get Cole some water.
