Cole excited to face Arrieta in wild-card game
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Gerrit Cole will face the hottest pitcher in the major leagues in the National League wild-card game.
Yet, the Pirates right-hander couldn鈥檛 be more excited about facing the Chicago Cubs鈥� 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 special,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淚 think I鈥檝e said it all along as (manager Clint Hurdle) continued to put me in big games. It鈥檚 vote of confidence, it鈥檚 trust, it鈥檚 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鈥檚 not all one player. We have to go out and win the game. I just have to keep us in a stone鈥檚 throw, I guess.鈥�
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.
鈥淚 love pitching in big games and there鈥檚 never been bigger games than those two games against the Cardinals for me,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to experiencing the postseason. There鈥檚 nothing better.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e had a couple opportunities this year where we鈥檝e had extra rest, and I thought we鈥檝e used those to our advantage quite well,鈥� 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,
鈥淲e鈥檙e facing a great pitcher in Arrieta but I like our guy too,鈥� Pirates general manger Neal Huntington said. 鈥淚鈥檒l put Gerrit Cole up against anybody.鈥�