Gerrit Cole put his familiar spin on a tenacious win. The New York Yankees usually find their groove in Minnesota, after all.
Cole got back on track with six sharp innings amid the hubbub around grip aids for pitchers, and Giancarlo Stanton hit two of New York’s four home runs to fuel a 9-6 victory Wednesday night over the Twins.
“The outside chatter is the outside chatter, and as players we’ve just got to do our best and stay focused on our job,” said Cole, who won for the first time in three starts. He allowed solo homers to Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sanó among five hits without a walk.
Polanco hit a two-run shot in a four-run ninth for the Twins, but Cole and the Yankees were in control from the start.
“That’s what an ace does,” teammate Aaron Judge said. “Nothing really can faze that guy.”
