"I pitched well out of traffic" - Yankees starter Gerrit Cole satisfied with effort despite loss to Nationals

Gerrit Cole suffered a bad start in some time as the Yankees lost 4-2 to a weaker Washington Nationals. The starter limited the damage and felt his performance was decent even though his season's ERA dropped to 3.86 and the Bombers failed to consolidate the lead at the top of the AL East.

Cole earned the three runs on six hits as the Nationals went deep twice in the fourth innings against the defending AL Cy Young winner. Heading into the game, the 33-year-old had earned just three runs from his last four starts and was looking on track to get this season's sixth win.

Unfortunately, that wasn't to be as the Yanks failed offensively. Nationals starter Patrick Corbin had the worst ERA in the league for all qualified starters with 5.73. But he gave away only two hits and two walks in six scoreless innings, winning the pitching duel.

The Nationals' two home runs in the fourth inning against Cole came from unexpected at-bats of Andres Chaparro, who hit his first long ball this season, and Jose Tena, who hit his second homer. Despite that the Yankees starter, speaking after the game, felt he had done a satisfactory job.

“I think I pitched well out of traffic, had good stuff, pretty good command, but ultimately they beat me today. It just is what it is,” Cole said.

Gerrit Cole rumored to opt out of Yankees contract

Gerrit Cole has four years of his nine-year, $324 million contract in the Bronx. He has a player option at the end of this year he can opt for that will take him into free agency. As per ESPN's Jeff Passan, there is a strong possibility of it in the offseason.

"Cole also figures into this winter's free agency with a strong expectation that he will opt out of the final four years and $144 million of his nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees," Passan reported.

However, the organization has a chance to nullify that with a club option for increasing a year to his current contract. A 10th year would cost the team $36 million. For Cole, it is unlikely that he will get an amount as high as $144 million for four years anymore, but he can just trigger the club option by choosing to opt out.