Gerrit Cole was the ace up the hole the Yankees needed at the crucial moment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Gerrit Cole hit like an ace again and now the Yankees are heading back to the ALCS.

But he didn't get there without a bit of drama, letting a long fly ball from Kyle Isbel hit the right-field fence with two outs in the seventh, which was just yards away from a game-winning home run at Kauffman Stadium.

Juan Soto managed to finish the inning, and the Yankees earned a decisive 3-1 series victory over Kansas City in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Aaron Boone admitted that “my heart skipped a beat” as Isbel drove to the fence.

After it was all over, Cole let out a scream as he walked toward the dugout.

“I was hooked,” Cole said.

He had reason to.

In the end, Cole allowed just one run on six hits – and no walks – while posting four strikeouts in seven innings.

Now he and the Yankees are one step away from the World Series in a season that began with Cole on the injured list due to elbow inflammation that sidelined him in March.

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Cole hasn't come close to achieving the consistent dominance he showed a year ago when the 34-year-old won the AL Cy Young Award, but he's looking more like the leader of the rotation and the Yankees will need that to move on, and he will take it.

“This is the best part of the year,” Cole said. “Last year I just tried to please the team and keep grinding. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Cole raced through the first five innings of Game 4 and had a three-run lead after not giving up a run.

At that point, the benches briefly cleared after a collision at second base between Kansas City's Maikel Garcia and shortstop Anthony Volpe, as Garcia was pushed to second base and was annoyed by a slight shot in the neck from Volpe.

With one on and two out, Cole allowed a single to right by Bobby Witt Jr. and a run-scoring double to Vinnie Pasquantino to create a two-run game and bring the Kauffman Stadium crowd to life .

Worse, Salvador Perez came onto the scene.

But Cole stiffened and got the catcher to jump to second to end the inning and keep the lead.

It was part of a strong comeback performance from Cole, who was hit hard during his start in Game 1, when he lasted only five or more innings and was fortunate to allow four runs, three earned.

On Thursday, he retired the first six batters he faced and 12 of the first 13 as the Yankees gradually built a 3-0 lead.

“I’m just blessed to be here,” Cole said. “We have to keep going.”