NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole's strikeouts and spin rate dropped as he pitched for the first time since Major League Baseball's crackdown on sticky substances, and the Kansas City Royals rallied off Jonathan Loiasiga for four runs in the eighth inning to beat the New York Yankees 6-5.
Cole, among the pitchers under highest scrutiny as umpires regularly search pitchers this week for unauthorized grip enhancers, allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, showing his usual velocity but without his explosive strikeout pitches.
Luke Voit homered and tripled in his return from the injured list as the Yankees built a lead.
