Friday’s New York Yankees vs Pittsburgh Pirates game was quite an atypical one. Apart from the intense back and forth of the game, Gerrit Cole savaging his favorite catcher continued. It’s no secret, in the process of chasing the Cy Young award, Cole has emerged as an irreplaceable clubhouse leader. As a part of his process, tough love is the way to go. 

In some capacity, seasoned teammates need to get stern especially when they are bestowed with high expectations. The Yankees’ starting pitcher is taking aggressive strides as an aspirant of his next career milestone. The 25-Year-Old, 2021 debutant and flourishing catcher is reluctantly handling Cole’s chase.  

Gerrit Cole’s Tough Love Amidst Cy Young Race

Ben Rortvedt, having played 30 career games in the Bronx and just over 69 in MLB, has been getting pitching lessons from the frustrated Cy Young award aspirant. Rortvedt and Cole had a moment of aggressive communication in the picturesque PNC park of Pittsburgh on Friday. Per Talkin’ Yanks, as Cole escaped with only one run, Rortvedt and he did their thing. The pitcher gave the rookie passionate pats on his helmet and his back, mouthing what seemed like words of encouragement.

What makes this act remarkable is that these are factors pushing Gerrit Cole further in the heated Cy Young race. New York Yankees Star made a notable return to Pittsburgh, his first visit since the 2018 trade, living up to high expectations. While in the game Gerrit gave a solid effort in his quest for his American League Cy Young campaign.

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After a turbulent beginning, he managed to pitch five innings, conceding only two runs on six hits while striking out four batters. However, his animated exchanges seem like a bumpy experience for the newbie.

The real question is, is this Cy Young award quest making it a pressure packed season for the rookie? After the Yankees’ win against the Houston Astros early September, Rortvedt said, “I’m really trying not to think about it much”. The MLB world has noticed a tiff between the two in more than one instance. 

Fans have not ignored Gerrit’s Cole’s frustration towards Ben Rortvedt in previous games, be it during innings or in the dugout. An incident on Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers escalated the friction. 

A Fortunate Life Saving Duck

Yankees’ stand-out pitcher avoided a serious accident with his quick reflexes. In the ongoing Brewers’ at-bat, Ben Rortvedt received the ball and hurled it toward second base barely missing Gerrit Cole who was advancing in his direction. Completely unintentional though, had Cole not instantly ducked, could have been gravely injured. 

Read More : “Requesting a Trade”: Unpopular Yankees Catcher Nearly Takes Out Gerrit Cole With a Lightning-Fast Bullet Throw, Killing New Yorkers’ Remaining Happiness

At this point one is forced to think what’s more heated, the Cy Young race or the Cole-Rortvedt relationship. 

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