NEW YORK — The Yankees had lost back-to-back-to-back games just once in this fabulous first half. So the odds were in favor of baseball’s best breaking a two-game slide Tuesday night, especially with one of its All-Stars on the mound and one of baseball’s worst wearing road red.
The series opener against Cincinnati began about an hour late at Yankee Stadium because of the threat of rain. But that just delayed a surprising Yankees loss.
Gerrit Cole turned in seven innings of brilliant no-run, four-hit, 11-strikeout, one-walk work. But the Reds scored four in the ninth to take a one-run edge and held on for a 4-3 win.
So the Yankees (61-26) have dropped three straight for the second time.
They took a 3-0 lead into the ninth. But Cincinnati (33-54), which has actually won five straight, loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, single and hit batter against Clay Holmes (4-1). Tyler Naquin followed with an RBI single. Then Holmes hit Kyle Farmer to force in a run, and it was 3-2. Aaron Boone pulled Holmes for Wandy Peralta.
Donovan Solano came up to pinch hit and he grounded back to Peralta, who threw home for the force. Senzel grounded to third and Josh Donaldson got the force at home. But Jonathan India lined a two-run single to right-center for a 4-3 lead.
Alexis Diaz, brother of the Mets’ Edwin Diaz, then saved it for Reiver Sanmartin (2-4).
Cole allowed five runs on two Rafael Devers homers in his previous start against Boston, but he still emerged as a 6-5 winner. The five-time All-Star has been just fine more often than not. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 15 starts, including one or no runs nine times.
“He’s a great pitcher,” Boone said before the game “But I think for the most part, he’s gone out there with his weapons every night, starting with the fastball. I feel like his fastball overall really the entire year has been pretty consistent from the quality of it, the profile of it, usually the command of it.
“And you start with that, and then you work off of that with obviously some really good secondary pitches. But I think for the most part, his fastball has been in a good place this year.”
Cole is one of six Yankees headed for the All-Star Game next Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
“It’s a testament to just how well those guys have played,” Boone said. “I’m excited to see those guys go represent us in L.A. next week. It should be a lot of fun for them.”
The Yankees didn’t waste time, opening the first against rookie righty Graham Ashcraft with three straight hits.
DJ LeMahieu ripped a single into left. Gleyber Torres doubled to the right-center gap. And Anthony Rizzo lined a two-run single into center — 2-0, just like that.
The Yankees caught a break and scored again in the third.
Ashcraft began by issuing walks to Torres and Rizzo. One out later, Donaldson sent a fly ball to center. Nick Senzel slipped and fell. He could only trap the ball. It went for an RBI single — 3-0.
Aaron Hicks was next. He fouled a 2-and-0 pitch off his right shin, went down and then slowly limped off. Marwin Gonzalez finished the at-bat. The Yankees announced Hicks had a contusion, and that X-rays were negative.
