Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes brought noticeable intensity to the mound during a pivotal sixth inning Monday night at Nationals Park. After surrendering back-to-back hits to the bottom of Washington’s lineup to start the frame, Cortes rebounded by striking out leadoff batter CJ Abrams with an 0-2 fastball, maintaining his composure amid mounting pressure.
The tension escalated as Cortes faced Dylan Crews, who was making his Major League debut. Cortes worked the count full before delivering a decisive fastball that caught Crews swinging, prompting Cortes to let out a spirited shout and slap his glove in celebration. A subsequent walk to James Wood loaded the bases, bringing former Yankees prospect Andres Chaparro to the plate with a chance to shift the game’s momentum.
Cortes rose to the challenge, firing his fastest pitch of the night at 94.3 mph on a 2-2 count to strike out Chaparro and escape the inning unscathed. He exited the mound with an emphatic display of emotion, capping off a clutch performance in a high-stakes situation.
Despite allowing a solo home run in the seventh inning that snapped his scoreless streak at 20 1/3 innings, Cortes delivered a strong outing overall, helping propel the Yankees to a 5-2 victory in the opening game of the series against the Nationals.
Earlier in the season, Cortes faced his share of struggles, posting a 6.86 ERA over eight starts between June 23 and August 8, which elevated his season ERA to 4.42. His position in the starting rotation appeared precarious amid a healthy pitching staff featuring Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman.
In recent weeks, however, Cortes has rediscovered his form, stringing together three consecutive impressive starts and reestablishing himself as a valuable contributor to the Yankees’ rotation. His resurgence has been a welcome development for New York, even as much of the spotlight has been focused on Aaron Judge‘s offensive heroics throughout August.
Cortes’ renewed dominance on the mound adds depth and stability to the Yankees’ pitching staff as they continue their push toward postseason contention, underscoring the importance of his role in the team’s overall success.
Cortes dominates as Yankees’ gloves shine
Nestor Cortes secured his third straight win Monday night, further solidifying his recent dominance on the mound. Over his last 20 2/3 innings, the Yankees’ left-hander has allowed just one earned run, holding opponents to 10 hits and two walks while striking out 18.
Cortes effectively mixed his pitches, generating nine swings and misses, particularly with his four-seam fastball. However, it was the Yankees‘ strong defensive play that preserved his scoreless effort through the first six innings.
In the second inning, after Andres Chaparro led off with a double, left fielder Alex Verdugo made a crucial running catch, crashing into the wall to rob Keibert Ruiz of an RBI double. Though shaken, Verdugo stayed in the game after being checked by the Yankees’ medical staff.
Later in the inning, Aaron Judge showcased his defensive skills with a leaping catch at the center field warning track, denying Jose Tena’s deep fly ball and keeping the Nationals off the board.
Judge’s defensive heroics continued in the fourth inning when he prevented a game-tying two-run homer by Chaparro with a spectacular catch in left-center. The play led to an inning-ending double play, as Judge’s quick relay to Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu caught James Wood off first base.
On the offensive side, Gleyber Torres sparked the Yankees with a leadoff home run to left field off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker. Torres, who has been effective in the leadoff spot, found his power after a mostly quiet summer at the plate.
Catcher Austin Wells and third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. added solo home runs later in the game. At the same time, LeMahieu chipped in with two RBIs on a pair of sacrifice flies, helping the Yankees secure a 5-2 victory in the series opener.
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It fortunate that elderly statesman DJ LeMahieu has been available for 1st
Base duties.