Pirates to skip Gerrit Cole’s next start, position him for NL willd-card game
Matt Harvey isn’t the only important National League pitcher headed for extra rest down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle announced Monday that ace Gerrit Cole will have his scheduled start this weekend skipped in order to buy some extra rest and set up the rotation for the all important stretch run.
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Also of note will be the return of A.J. Burnett, who’s scheduled to pitch Thursday against Milwaukee. The veteran right-hander has been out of action since July 30 with elbow discomfort, but hopes to contribute down the stretch in what will be his final season.
Focusing on Cole, as much of Pittsburgh is at this point, he’s coming off his best outing since the All-Star break on Sunday night in St. Louis. He looked fresh and was undeniably dominant, allowing just two hits while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings to pick up his 16th victory.
Cole needed 99 pitches, which is an efficient and manageable number all things considered. But there’s a bigger picture that’s becoming crystal clear in Pittsburgh, and Cole’s image is the centerpiece of it all.
Barring a St. Louis Cardinals collapse, both the Pirates and Cubs playoff fates will come down to the wild-card on Oct. 7. The only question left is whether it will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh or Wrigley Field in Chicago. After Monday’s result, the Pirates own a two-game lead in that race, but with six games remaining between those two teams that could easily change.
Focusing on the wild-card game itself, in a win-or-go home situation, Cole is definitely the guy Pittsburgh wants on the hill. Given their position in the standings, they can make these adjustments to ensure he’s as fresh as possible when making that start. To them, that might even mean more than hosting the game.
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It’s worth noting that Cole has already thrown 180 2/3 innings this season. In his two prior seasons, the soon-to-be 25-year-old never topped 140. He’s in new territory already, and even with the skipped start should easily top 200 innings.
With a deep run in the postseason, the innings could balloon to 230 or 240. That’s a massive increase and the sheer amount of extra pitches are an obvious concern. If they can save some of those bullets now, it’s definitely worth it.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
