THE WEIGHT ON GERRIT COLE'S SHOULDERS GETS HEAVIER

It's not easy being "the ace" of the pitching staff. It gets incrementally harder when the ace is coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery. The expectation is always high. The expectation is higher when your team is riddled with injuries and you need to execute every pitch and do everything you can to help your bruised team win.

The already heavy weight is now heavier for Gerrit Cole. Big bats of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are missing and they will be for a while. In addition, Max Fried is not pitching. Difference makers are not on the field, on the mound or in the batter's box. It's a big ask for a guy that hasn't pitched since the 2024 World Series and has been back in action for less than a month.

But Cole is doing it and as much as we need it, I am still uneasy. What we saw Tuesday against the White Sox isn't the norm for the Yankees. It always stings to give up that first inning home run, but then to retire 13 batters in a row while the offense scores 11 runs by the fourth inning is a rare treat. It's a rare treat as the Yankees need to find ways to win to maintain their lead against the Rays. It's not an easy ask.

It's about as easy of an ask as it is for the Yankees strength and conditioning team or medical staff to be worth a damn. It also means, the team that is 'all or nothing' needs to turn it up a notch and make sure the 'nothings' are few and far between. The streakiness can't exist. The Yankees need to play well against both good teams and bad teams. We can't afford the feast or famine anymore....and we can't put that weight on the shoulders of the guy who missed more than a full season. 

As much as I love Cole, and appreciate his mindset he can't do it on his own. The rest of the pitching staff can't do it on their own either. We need the offense just as much as we need the pitching. We need the "savages in the box" to come out and not the "averages in the box." There's no room for failure....or even average. 

The Yankees have won the last eight of nine games. That's great. But I am tired of the yo-yo up and down. Cole has always done his part for this team. There is no reason to believe he won't continue to do so, but everyone else does to. It can't only come down to Cole. We need next man up mentality! That's what separates the good teams from the best.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj