Gerrit Cole Allows Three Straight Home Runs to Open Padres Start, Then Yankees Rally for 5-1 Win

Gerrit Cole’s return from Tommy John surgery hit its strangest chapter yet on Sunday at Petco Park, where the Yankees ace allowed home runs to the first three batters he faced against the San Diego Padres. It marked just the second time in franchise history a Yankees pitcher has opened a game that way — and remarkably, the only other instance also belongs to Cole, who did it against the Twins back on June 9, 2022. New York rallied behind him to win the series finale 5-1, clinching a series victory and pushing the club within reach of its 34th consecutive winning season.

Cole entered Sunday’s start at 8-7 with a 3.29 ERA and 110 strikeouts, numbers that represent a genuine comeback in his first full season back from the elbow reconstruction that wiped out most of his 2024 and 2025. The 35-year-old right-hander has been the strikeout artist and postseason horse New York signed to a nine-year, $324 million deal, and his 2026 workload has been treated as a proof-of-concept that the arm is whole again. Sunday’s opening sequence tested that narrative in real time, even if the final line told a better story.

Back-to-Back-to-Back Trouble, Then an Escape

Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with a solo shot, Jake Cronenworth followed with another, and Manny Machado made it three straight before Cole recorded an out. The Padres led 3-0 before the Yankees had taken a single swing. Cole steadied from there, working around a two-base error by rookie Jasson Dominguez in the second inning and pinning a Padres runner at third to escape further damage. He finished with a final line of four innings, five hits, three earned runs, two strikeouts and no walks — a rough surface read that undersells how quickly he shut the door once the barrage stopped.

New York’s offense did the rest. The Yankees have won five of their last seven games and 13 of their last 19, a stretch that has them firmly in control of the American League’s top wild-card position even as the Tampa Bay Rays hold a comfortable lead atop the AL East. Spencer Jones, the rookie outfielder playing in his hometown, has been a central figure in that surge, and New York’s bullpen depth behind Cole and Saturday starter Carlos Rodón has kept the rotation’s uneven September starts from costing the club in the standings. Fans tracking the Yankees down the stretch can follow live MLB odds as the wild-card picture continues to take shape.

What Sunday’s Line Means Going Forward

For a pitcher who missed the better part of two seasons, Cole’s ability to absorb an ugly opening and still finish four competitive innings is arguably more meaningful than a clean start would have been. It’s the kind of resilience the Yankees need if he’s going to anchor a playoff rotation in October. Cole is now 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA across his career against San Diego, a track record that made Sunday’s start all the more unusual, and the Yankees will take the trade-off: a shaky first inning in exchange for a series win and a boost to their postseason positioning.

With the AL East effectively decided in Tampa Bay’s favor, the next three weeks are about seeding and health. New York’s front office will be watching every Cole outing closely, weighing pitch counts and recovery against the reality that he’s the most important arm on the roster if the Yankees are going to make a deep October run. Bettors weighing the Yankees’ path through the wild-card round can check the latest World Series odds as New York continues building its case as a legitimate contender.