Yankees offense frustrates again in 10-inning loss to Pirates to open doubleheader

In a lot of ways, this was vintage Gerrit Cole, who allowed two home runs but struck out a season-best 11 and showed off maybe his best stuff since returning from surgery.In a lot of ways, this was vintage José Caballero, whose pitch-timer violation and argument led to a strikeout and ejection of hitting coach James Rowson.And in a lot of ways, this was the recent Yankees offense, which scored with one swing and not again.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

Ben Rice’s three-run blast in the seventh inning was not enough, the Yankees continuing to fail in the clutch and falling, 5-3, to the Pirates in 10 innings to disappoint the announced crowd of 43,290 who showed for the matinee end of a doubleheader.A day that started with excitement for the Yankees, who for the first time were going to see Cole and Max Fried in the same rotation and on the same day, instead began with the same exasperation over a lack of offense, which finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.The offense for the Yankees (56-45) exploded for eight runs Monday, but any momentum was gone by Wednesday, when the Yankees finished with six hits (in part because Pittsburgh played a quality game defensively).The Yankees have scored more than five runs just twice in their past 29 games.The Pirates rallied against Fernando Cruz in the 10th, with run-scoring hits from Jared Triolo (a well-struck single to left that was out of Cody Bellinger’s reach) and Jake Mangum (who dropped a single in front of Trent Grisham).In the 10th, Bellinger (strikeout), Jasson Domínguez (pop-up) and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

(pop-out) could not come through, which has become routine for an attack that lacks Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.The Yankees only scored in the seventh, when Rice stepped up with two runners on and demolished his 30th homer of the season into the second deck in right to tie the game.But un...