Garret Cole is the ace the Rangers don’t have. He’s finished in the top five in Cy Young award voting five times in his ten-year career. He’s led the league in ERA, strikeouts, wins.

But the last time he faced the Rangers, he was anything but superman.

It was last May 17, in fact. The Rangers had lost seven games in a row when the Yankees came into Arlington with Gerrit Cole on the mound.

On paper, it looked hopeless. But the Rangers got to him early, with Willie Calhoun hitting a leadoff double. 

Adolis Garcia lead off the second with a home run, that was followed up by back-to-back doubles by David Dahl (remember him?) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Before the inning was over, the Rangers had three runs.

Cole issued a walk and a walk pitch in the third. He gave up a home run to Willie Calhoun in the fifth. And the Rangers jumped on him for another un in the sixth. Garcia lead off with a single, there was another walk and another wild pitch.

When Cole’s night was over, he’s allowed five runs in six sloppy innings and the Rangers snapped their seven-game losing streak.

Do they have another one of those in them today? The Rangers head into the Bronx riding a four-game winning streak. Twice last year they won four in a row.

This will be a series to see if this team is for real. In New York, against Gerrit Cole, the Rangers clawed out of last place, the Yankees sitting in first. 

Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain.

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