Like most baseball fans, Gerrit Cole has been thinking about Shohei Ohtani recently.
They last faced one another 13 months ago, when the Yankees visited the Angels and Cole took a three-hitter into the sixth. Cole had retired Ohtani on a long flyball in the first and a popup in the fourth. Now, in the bottom of the sixth, up 2–0 with one out and runners on first and second, Cole tried to paint the outside corner with a fastball. He missed, high and inside. Ohtani took it for a ball. Cole tried again with a changeup but missed down. Ball two. Frustrated, Cole decided to challenge Ohtani with another heater, which missed over the heart of the plate. Ohtani was waiting. Cole did not even bother to watch the ball as it soared into the centerfield seats.
“I just wonder sometimes if I had just gone right after him from the get-go . . . ” Cole says, then trails off.
