Gerrit Cole gave Yankees almost everything they needed in ace’s World Series return

Gerrit Cole near nan crippled pinch nan lead and successful statement for nan triumph Friday night.

But his Yankees World Series debut didn’t spell arsenic planned aft he left.

While Clay Holmes stranded Cole’s runner successful nan seventh, nan Dodgers tied nan Yankees successful nan bottommost of nan eighth to costs Cole a win.

Gerrit Cole #45 of nan New York Yankees throws a transportation during nan first inning. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

For nan astir part, Cole did what he usually does successful a 6-3, 10-inning Game 1 nonaccomplishment astatine Dodger Stadium.

After being inconsistent successful 2 of his 3 postseason starts this year, nan right-hander allowed 1 tally successful six-plus innings and didn’t locomotion a batter.

He whiffed only 4 but retired 11 consecutive batters aft Freddie Freeman’s two-out triple successful nan bottommost of nan first.

And Cole besides provided immoderate length, which nan Yankees dream they tin usage to their advantage complete nan Dodgers makeshift rotation during nan series.

Gerrit Cole #45 of nan New York Yankees reacts aft ending nan 4th inning. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

On Friday, though, right-hander Jack Flaherty sounded 5 ¹/₃ innings earlier Dave Roberts near him successful to look Giancarlo Stanton, whose two-run homer gave nan Yankees nan lead.

Cole survived a scare from Shohei Ohtani to lead disconnected nan bottommost of nan first, erstwhile Ohtani hammered nan first transportation to center, wherever Aaron Judge made nan catch.

Follow The Post’s sum of nan Yankees successful nan postseason:

• Yankees suffer Game 1 connected walk-off expansive slam
• Fan interferes pinch near-homer successful arguable play
• Aaron Judge fails to present again successful clutch successful Game 1
• Giancarlo Stanton’s basking postseason continues pinch two-run homer

And Cole stranded Freeman astatine 3rd later successful nan inning erstwhile Teoscar Hernandez’s liner was snared by Anthony Volpe astatine short.

But he mostly cruised done nan second, 3rd and 4th innings earlier Kiké Hernandez tripled to right.

And this time, Cole wasn’t capable to get retired of it, arsenic Will Smith followed pinch a sacrifice alert to halfway for nan only tally allowed by nan Yankees ace.

Aaron Boone went to Holmes pinch 1 connected and nary 1 retired successful nan seventh and Holmes hardly sewage retired of nan inning unscathed.

It was Cole’s first World Series commencement since 2019, erstwhile he was pinch nan Astros and constricted nan Nationals to 1 tally successful 7 innings successful Game 5 successful a bid Washington — and Soto — won.