ROCHESTER, N.Y. — One of the best pitchers in baseball today was on the mound at Innovative Field, as New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole pitched for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders — the Yanks’ AAA affiliate, — against the Rochester Red Wings on Friday night.

News10NBC Sports’ Jackson Roberts was on the scene and says the stadium was basically full — while the Red Wings are our local team, this is also a huge Yankees town. The Red Wings posted on X that this is the second largest crowd in the Wings’ history.’ Jackson Roberts was on the scene and says the stadium was basically full — while the Red Wings are our local team, this is also a huge Yankees town. The Red Wings posted on X that this is the second largest crowd in the Wings’ history.

For Yankees fans, it was the first chance to see Cole pitch this year, as he’s been out since spring training with a right elbow injury…

For the Red Wings, it was a chance to face some top-flight competition. Manager Matt LeCroy says that’s a great thing for the guys on his team.

Rochester won the game 2-1. Cole, last year’s Cy Young winner, went 4.1 innings, allowed just two hits, allowed one run that wasn’t earned, and struck out ten.

Cole told News10NBC afterwards he feels good, he’s itching to get back to the majors, and that he loved making a return to Rochester, where he pitched once before years ago.