Cole throws 2-hitter, Yankees beat O's 6-0 in DH opener

NEW YORK (AP) — This is what Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees had in mind when they finalized the right-hander's free agent deal last December.

Cole pitched a seven-inning two-hitter, DJ LeMahieu led off the first inning with the first of three Yankees homers and New York beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-0 Friday in a doubleheader opener.

New York moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles for the AL's final postseason spot as the teams began a four-game series. The Yankees had lost 15 of 21 entering Friday amid a rash of injuries, dropping to third place in the AL East behind Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Cole (5-3) opened with 4 2/3 hitless innings before Hanser Alberto singled, although his effort wouldn’t have resulted in a no-hitter regardless. Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent chaired a committee in 1991 that voted unanimously to define no-hitters as games of nine innings or more that ended with no hits. Doubleheaders this year were shortened to a pair of seven-inning games to shorten time in ballparks during this pandemic-shortened season.

“Yeah, I wasn’t really thinking about it," Cole said.

The Yankees' $324 million ace struck out nine and walked one, finishing his gem in 114 pitches. He induced 27 swings and misses, the fourth-most of his career, including the postseason, according to MLB.com. He got 11 misses with his fastball and 10 via slider.

Cole tied Cincinnati's Trevor Bauer for the major league lead with two complete games, and neither of Cole's lasted nine innings. The other was a rain-shortened, five-inning effort that beat Washington on opening night. He's (backslash)the first Yankees pitcher with two complete-game wins of less than nine innings in one season since Allie Reynolds in 1952.

“I was happy to be able to finish it for me personally, but...

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