#Gerrit Cole’s long win streak ends in Yankees’ loss to Braves

The Yankees saw their losing streak reach four games and Gerrit Cole’s winning streak end at 20 with Wednesday’s 5-1 seven-inning loss to the Braves in the first game of a doubleheader in Atlanta.

It was the Yankees’ first game since last Thursday, following the postponement of the Subway Series due to two COVID-19 cases with the Mets and Tuesday’s rainout at Truist Park.

Cole allowed three homers, and the Yankees had little answer for Atlanta right-hander Ian Anderson, who took a no-hitter into the sixth in his MLB debut.

The 22-year-old retired the first eight batters he faced until Tyler Wade drew a walk with two outs in the third. Wade swiped second, but was stranded there when Mike Tauchman grounded out to end the inning.

The Yankees didn’t get their first hit until Luke Voit’s homer to the opposite field with one out in the sixth. It was the fifth straight game Voit had homered and cut the Yankees’ deficit to 4-1.

By then, Cole had already given up three home runs.

The first came on Cole’s first batter of the game, as Ronald Acuna, Jr. hit a 473-foot shot into the left-field seats to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead.

Cole walked Acuna with one out in the third and Dansby Swanson followed with an opposite field two-run homer to make it 3-0.

Later in the third, Marcell Ozuna went deep, this one another solo shot that traveled an estimated 469 feet as the Braves extended their lead to 4-0.

The Yankees threatened without a hit in the fourth. Voit reached on an error by third baseman Austin Riley to open the inning. Aaron Hicks grounded into a force out and Mike Ford walked to bring up Gio Urshela, but Urshela hit into a double play.

Gary Sanchez drilled a ball to third to start the fifth, but Riley made a diving play to rob the catcher. Anderson hit Estrada with a pitch with two outs in the inning before Wade struck out to end the inning.

Cole was pulled after allowing the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the sixth. The right-hander was at 103 pitches and displayed none of the anger he showed when Aaron Boone removed him in the seventh inning of his previous outing.

Luis Cessa immediately gave up a run-scoring double to Nick Markakis before he retired the next three batters.

It was Cole’s first regular-season loss since May 22 of last year, when he was with the Astros. In that span, Cole was 20-0 with a 1.97 ERA, covering 28 starts.

But on Wednesday, he was no match for the Braves or Anderson.