It was a night to remember for New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes, not just for his own dominant performance on the mound, but also for the impact his teammate Juan Soto has had on the team’s mentality. Leading his team to a convincing 7-0 victory over the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on Monday, Cortes pointed to Soto’s arrival, along with improvements to the bullpen and rotation, as key factors in the team’s strong start.
When asked about the team’s strong start to the year, Nestor Cortes highlighted the additions of players like Juan Soto and improvements to the bullpen and rotation. “Obviously, I didn’t like how we finished last year, picking up Soto this year, adding some guys into the pen, and adding some guys in the rotation. So like I said, a mix of everything.”
Juan Soto, acquired by the Yankees in the offseason, continued his impressive start, hitting his first home run at Yankee Stadium in the game. Cortes praised the young star, saying “He just goes about his business like a true professional. I see him in here every day and works hard, wants to get better every single day. And then he shows it out on the field.”
Nestor Cortes credits changeup and cutter for dominant outing
Nestor Cortes was simply sensational on the mound, delivering an outstanding outing that set the tone for the Yankees‘ dominant performance.
Nestor Cortes credited his changeup and cutter as the keys to his success, saying “The changeup was really good tonight throughout the whole game. The cutter was really pinpoint for me today.” He added that his velocity was a “little down, but I feel like the cutter was in a good spot and I was throwing it into good places, so that’s kind of what got me through.”
Nestor Cortes credited his changeup and cutter as the keys to his success, saying “The changeup was really good tonight throughout the whole game. The cutter was really pinpoint for me today.” He added that his velocity was a “little down, but I feel like the cutter was in a good spot and I was throwing it into good places, so that’s kind of what got me through.”
The left-hander was in control from the start, working a quick one-two-three first inning and needing just 12 pitches to complete the second, in which he recorded his first two strikeouts of the night. Cortes retired 10 straight batters to begin the game before Bryan De La Cruz broke the deadlock with a single in the fourth.
Solid performance vs. Miami Marlins
However, Nestor Cortes quickly regained his dominance, retiring the next eight Marlins in a row before De La Cruz singled again in the seventh. In his eight innings of work, Cortes allowed just two hits, no runs, and no walks, while striking out six batters. He lowered his ERA on the season to 3.50.
The Yankees’ victory pushes their record to 10-3 on the young season, as they look to continue their strong start and make a statement in the competitive AL East.
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