Cole powers Pirates for series finale vs. Tigers (Aug 10, 2017)
DETROIT -- Gerrit Cole found his groove two months ago. That has kept the Pittsburgh Pirates on the fringes of the playoff race.
The Pirates have won eight of the last 10 games started by their 26-year-old right-hander. Cole has endured only one poor outing during that stretch, going six or seven innings in the nine other outings while not allowing more than three runs.
Cole will start the finale of a four-game, home-and-home series against Detroit on Thursday afternoon. He gave up 23 earned runs in his four starts before the 10-outing stretch in which he has gone 6-2 with a 2.98 ERA.
It was a learning experience for the younger members of the staff.
"He had a rough spell this year and the young men got to watch him work through it, how he continued to prepare, how he continued to show up, how he continued to not let it leak into other areas," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
"That's the kind of behavior you want to see out of a guy with experience and a high skill-set. Now he's back in a good part of his craft, which is really fun to watch."
Cole (9-8) has lowered his season ERA to 4.00. He's 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA in three starts against the Tigers.
He'll be making his 24th start this season, three more than he had during his injury-marred 2016 campaign.
"It's been nice to be healthy and contribute," Cole said. "That's our goal here, so it's been fortunate to be given this opportunity. I've just got to keep plugging away at it."
The Pirates have won five of their last seven games to pull within 3 1/2 games of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
"We came in hot after the break and then we had a little bit of a disappointing road trip," Cole said. "It was good to kind of get back on our feet here in the last week."
Having a healthy and productive Cole for the stretch run will be crucial for the Pirates to stay in the race.
"Our GM (Neal Huntington) says it best: We're a really good team when Cole and (center fielder Andrew) McCutchen are playing really good baseball," Hurdle said. "There's so much truth to it."
Cole will be opposed Thursday by Drew VerHagen (0-1, 5.00 ERA), who will be making his second start this season. VerHagen allowed two runs and four hits in five innings at Baltimore on Sunday and got a no-decision.
"I felt good about it," VerHagen said. "I felt like I was pounding the zone with all my pitches and gave the team a chance to win."
VerHagen has been used mainly in long relief when he has pitched for the Tigers in the past four seasons, but he was starting regularly at the Triple-A level most of this season. He's filling in for injured Michael Fulmer (right elbow ulnar neuritis), who could return as early as next week.
VerHagen embraces the chance to start at Comerica Park.
"I'm really excited about it," he said. "I've been starting this whole year in Toledo, so I'm just kind of sticking to that same routine and trying to keep the same approach. As far as getting the opportunity to put this uniform on and start, it means a lot to me."
Tigers ace Justin Verlander has given him tips on how to throw his slider and make it look different than his curve.
"I like getting to use all my pitches," said VerHagen, who is 0-0 with an 11.57 ERA in three relief outings against Pittsburgh. "I just added a new slider, so that's kind of a work in progress, and my changeup is something that's been a process as well."
