That the Yankees scored in two of 18 frames, performing as if the lineup were cobbled together from whatever Hal Steinbrenner could find in the cushions of his limo, became a footnote. 

That is what happened when they could finally unveil a duo who, in their first time pitching alongside each other, demonstrated why they arrived with a combined $542 million price tag. 

Together at last, Max Fried and Gerrit Cole were worth the wait, each a different shade of excellent to help the Yankees salvage a doubleheader split Wednesday despite the club’s lineup mostly taking the day off. 

Fried, a surprise to even be on a major league mound after only one brief rehab start, showed no rust over five efficient, scoreless innings to guide the Yankees to a 2-0 victory in the nightcap after Cole flexed dominant stuff over seven innings in the 5-3, 10-inning loss earlier in the day. 

“Obviously we’ve been looking forward to that,” said Will Warren, a surprise ninth-inning reliever in the nightcap, “and now they’re both healthy and ready to rip, so I think you saw a master class today.” 

Pitching for the first time in over two months, Fried looked both dominant and healthy. He reached back for the fastest pitch of his season (98.5 mph), found a way to record 15 outs with just 57 pitches and mixed in seven distinct types of offerings, six of which yielded at least one whiff while striking out seven. 

With notable help from his defense — Cody Bellinger cutting down Nick Gonzales at second base in the first inning and Ryan McMahon putting on a show on the left side of the infield — Fried allowed just one hit in his comeback from an elbow bone bruise. 

Yankees’ Max Fried (54) pitches in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“This is my favorite thing to do,” said the lefty, who had to ask Yankees personnel if they were serious when they wondered during Tuesday’s rainout if he wanted to jump back to the majors a day later. “Being out for the last couple of months, it’s really tough. But coming out, giving us a chance to win and getting back out there and feeling the energy, it felt normal. 

“I’m happy about that.” 

That his effort came mere hours after Cole’s, who showed off maybe the best stuff of his post-surgery career, provided a pretty clear road map for how the Yankees hope to get to and through October. This was a day that had been in the making since Dec. 17, 2024, when the Yankees locked up Fried on a $218 million pact to be the sidekick of Cole and his $324 million mega-deal. 

Injuries continually thwarted that vision, from Cole’s Tommy John surgery in 2025 to Fried’s bone bruise in mid-May this year. 

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) rushes to cover a comebacker during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Robert Sabo for NY Post

“Better late than never,” said Fried, who watched Cole strike out a season-best 11 and miss bat after bat while letting up four hits, two of which left the park to mar his afternoon. 

“I missed him all year,” Cole said of Fried. “We played keepaway I guess so far this year, and so it’s a good day. 

“… It’s nice that it’s finally come to fruition for sure. A little bit too long for both of our tastes.” 

A combined 84,354 fans in The Bronx saw the Yankees continue their hitting struggles. They went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the opener, only scoring in the seventh with a three-run shot from Ben Rice, before they were held scoreless in the second game until the seventh inning, when a Jasson Domínguez double and Anthony Volpe single scored the only runs they would need. But the day will be remembered — apart from MLB cracking down on José Caballero and his pre-pitch routine during the matinee without bothering to warn the Yankees — for a pitching pair with a combined nine All-Star Games tallying 12 innings in which they let up three runs, five hits and a walk with 18 strikeouts. 

“Our whole rotation is unbelievable,” Domínguez said of a group that expects to add Carlos Rodón (set to throw a side session Friday) and already boasts Cam Schlittler, who might be the favorite for American League Cy Young and was featured on Fried’s postgame shirt. 

The rotation they have envisioned is coming into view, anchored by two aces whose timelines are finally merging. 

“We have high hopes this year,” manager Aaron Boone said as the Yankees (57-45) moved 2.5 games back of the Rays, “and those are two of the big reasons why.”