CAN WE STILL CALL GERRIT COLE OUR "ACE"?

WOW - that was UGLY! This was worse that Cole's horrendous start against the Red Sox last year in the AL Wild Card game. That was terrible enough and I didn't even want to remember it. I don't want to remember this one, either. Thank goodness this isn't the playoffs because THIS Gerrit Cole just isn't going to cut it in the postseason....period. 

What the hell happened to Cole? Serious question. Yesterday was supposed to be a pitcher's duel and an exciting "ace" vs "ace" battle but Castillo just straight up annihilated Cole and the Yankees. If you didn't want Luis Castillo before yesterday, now you do. He just made an example out of us, he's got skills.

So where are Cole's "ace" skills? The Yankees need to get this guy back on track because what we saw yesterday will NOT get us to the World Series. Cole is supposed to be the number one in this rotation and yesterday he looked like a zero. This is not the guy we can give the ball to every fifth day and have confidence that he is going to get the job done. That wasn't the guy that they can count on or the guy worth a $324 million contract. Harsh but true, especially when you wear a Yankee uniform.

Cole's six earned runs including three home runs in the first inning against the Mariners should concern everyone. I don't want to hear "oh he just had a bad night" because it's not. That was the most runs Cole has allowed in his 10-year career AND it was the fifth time this season that he has coughed up five runs or more in a start. It's August...and I don't care that we still have an 11 game lead in the AL East. Excuse time is over and we really don't need to listen to Aaron Boone tell us Cole had no command or rhythm, save it pal, we saw that! 

Until Cole can prove he can live up to being an "ace" and can deliver in the regular season, the Yankees should NOT trust him in high stakes games. I can't stand the thought of watching another game like last year's Wild Card game. The playoffs will be here before we know it and right now I have more faith in Nasty Nestor Cortes then our so-called "ace" and the Yankees need to fix him, NOW.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj