Baseball fans have been caught up in the thrilling World Baseball Classic match-ups this month. But not to forget, March is also the most exciting time in baseball for another reason – spring training. The training itself may not be the most exciting, but it signals the arrival of the upcoming regular season. So it’s usually worth following to check the progress of one’s favorite teams or players, or any new blood that may join the season later on. The Yankees are looking for an SS to play behind Gerrit Cole. And while he’s keeping up with the team’s hunt for the perfect Opening Day roster, his own performance has him feeling down.

The Grapefruit League is well and alive and saw a Yankees vs. Orioles game on Sunday, March 19th. It was a good match-up, but the Yankees lost 3-5, which dropped their league record to 9-14-1. And the loss may have had something to do with the usually talented pitcher.

Gerrit Cole gets honest about one of his “worst” performances yet

The first four innings went flawlessly, but the fifth spelled trouble for the Pinstripes ace. ?That was the worst inning of the spring,? Cole told The New York Post. ?Not a great taste in my mouth.? The 32-year-old was up against Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser. But tragedy struck when the third batter, Anthony Bemboom, hit a three-run home run to right field.

Cole blamed himself for the whole thing, even if his good-hearted intentions were slightly misplaced. Fans are nevertheless praising him for his honesty.

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One fan was hopeful the future would hold a better outcome.

One die-hard Orioles fan even praised their favored team.

Despite the variety of comments, Cole is obviously still very well-liked!

The pitcher wants to bump up his pitch count before the season starts

Cole has one more Grapefruit League game left before Opening Day arrives. Although he views the last one as a disaster, he’s “not discouraged or concerned at all” about the next game, or even the upcoming season. Before the end of March arrives, however, the 32-year-old wanted to increase his number of pitches, and so far, he’s doing a great job.

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After his total tallying up to 70 before Sunday’s game, Cole managed to bring the number up to 81. As Mark W. Sanchez of the Post put it, Cole “should be ready to throw 100 pitches when Opening Day arrives.”

March 30 will officially be the season opener for the Bronx Bombers, a game against the Giants at Yankee Stadium.

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