Cole excited to face Arrieta in wild-card game
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Gerrit Cole will face the hottest pitcher in the major leagues in the National League wild-card game.
Yet, the Pirates right-hander couldn无毛视频檛 be more excited about facing the Chicago Cubs无毛视频� Jake Arrieta on Wednesday night at PNC Park in a single-game elimination setting.
Arrieta led the major leagues in wins as he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA in 33 regular-season starts. He was an amazing 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA in 15 starts following the All-Star break.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 special,无毛视频� Cole said. 无毛视频淚 think I无毛视频檝e said it all along as (manager Clint Hurdle) continued to put me in big games. It无毛视频檚 vote of confidence, it无毛视频檚 trust, it无毛视频檚 acknowledgement for the hard work that you put in to put yourself in that position. At the same time, this is a team game. It无毛视频檚 not all one player. We have to go out and win the game. I just have to keep us in a stone无毛视频檚 throw, I guess.无毛视频�
Cole kept the Pirates in the vast majority of his 32 regular-season starts in the regular season, going 19-8 with a 2.60 ERA. The 25-year-old also went 4-1 in six September starts.
Cole made two starts against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 National League Division Series, going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. He did not appear in the postseason last year as Edinson Volquez was the losing pitcher when the Pirates fell to the San Francisco Giants in the wild-card game at PNC Park.
无毛视频淚 love pitching in big games and there无毛视频檚 never been bigger games than those two games against the Cardinals for me,无毛视频� Cole said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 really looking forward to experiencing the postseason. There无毛视频檚 nothing better.无毛视频�
Cole made his last regular-season start Sept. 30, beating the Cardinals at PNC Park. Thus, he will be pitching on six days of rest instead of the normal four.
However, Cole has no concerns about being rusty.
无毛视频淲e had a couple opportunities this year where we无毛视频檝e had extra rest, and I thought we无毛视频檝e used those to our advantage quite well,无毛视频� Cole said.
Cole is 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA against the Cubs this season, allowing 20 hits and four walks in 25 2/3 innings with 33 strikeouts, and 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine career starts.
Arrieta is 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA against the Pirates this year, giving up 18 hits and five walks in 36 innings with 33 strikeouts, and is 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA in nine career starts.
The Cubs won the regular-season series with the Pirates, 11-8,
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e facing a great pitcher in Arrieta but I like our guy too,无毛视频� Pirates general manger Neal Huntington said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l put Gerrit Cole up against anybody.无毛视频�