Former UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole already in baseball history book
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Former UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole has achieved historical significance … in just two starts.
Cole, who made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, is the first to beat Cy Young winners in his first two starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Cole beat San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum in his debut and followed that with a victory over the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke.
Some 1960s hipster praise came from Pirates catcher Michael McKenry after Cole went 5 2/3 innings to beat the Dodgers on Sunday.
“He’s a special cat,” McKenry said.
Cole is tentatively scheduled to make his third starter against the Angels on Friday.
The good news for the Angels? They are fresh out of Cy Young winners … Bartolo Colon (2005) is with the Oakland Athletics and Dean Chance (1964) retired.
And here’s a footnote: Cy Young winners Greinke (2009), Jack McDowell (1993), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Mike Cuellar (1969) were also Angel pitchers. All but Greinke had seen better days by the time they got to Anaheim.
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