Nestor Cortes upholds Boone’s trust, shields weary relievers in 7-inning gem

In a recent turn of events, Yankees manager Aaron Boone reaffirmed his confidence in pitcher Nestor Cortes despite the pitcher’s recent difficulties on the mound. When asked about possibly giving the left-hander extra rest to refine his technique, Boone was quick to defend the pitcher, who had been struggling since late June with a 6.86 ERA over his last eight outings.

Nestor Cortes repaid that faith with a standout performance in Chicago, leading the Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the White Sox, marking a much-needed turnaround in his season.

After a series of disappointing starts, where he posted a 7.67 ERA over six games, Nestor Cortes delivered the kind of performance both he and the team had been seeking. Over seven innings, he was in command, matching his season-high with nine strikeouts. He issued no walks and surrendered just three hits over 104 pitches.

While the victory came against a struggling team, Nestor Cortes expressed hope that this game could signal a positive shift in his otherwise inconsistent season. He mentioned feeling that something clicked for him during the outing and aimed to carry this momentum into future starts.

“I felt like something clicked for me today,” the Yankees pitcher said. “Hopefully, I can continue to do what I did today for the next outing.”

Nasty Nestor Night. @Cortes_1210 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SjalaxFNfb

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 14, 2024

Nestor Cortes’ strong showing also held broader significance for the Yankees’ pitching rotation. He became the first starter to go six innings since Carlos Rodon’s start on July 28, breaking a 14-game stretch where Yankees starters failed to reach that mark.

Nestor Cortes expressed optimism about his performance, feeling that he had turned a corner and hoped that this breakthrough would lead to continued success in his future starts.

Yankees’ Boone praises Nestor Cortes

Boone lauded Nestor Cortes’ performance, particularly the effectiveness of his changeup, the liveliness of his fastball, and the precision of his cutter. The Yankees’ manager noted that the pitcher had been close to delivering such an outing even during his recent rough patch. Boone also highlighted the efficiency of Cortes’ pitching, especially in contrast to the previous game, where the White Sox had racked up 18 or 19 hits against the Yankees.

“Love the way he threw the ball,” the Yankees skipper said. “Changeup was really good for him tonight. Life to the heater. Cutter was getting to where he wanted it. Efficient. I feel like he’s been close to that, even while he’s gone through some struggles,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The changeup was really good for him tonight; life to the heater, the cutter was getting to where he wanted it. He was efficient. That [White Sox] team put up 18, 19 hits on us yesterday.”

In a noteworthy performance, Nestor Cortes delivered his first scoreless outing since June 18 against the Orioles, providing a crucial boost to a Yankees bullpen that had struggled mightily, allowing 20 runs over 11 2/3 innings in the previous three games. Cortes capped off his impressive night by retiring the final six batters he faced, offering much-needed stability to a team in the midst of a grueling schedule filled with frequent games and doubleheaders.

Despite Nestor Cortes’ extended performance, Yankees manager Aaron Boone still needed to call on relievers Mark Leiter Jr., Tommy Kahnle, and Jake Cousins. Notably, Cousins recorded his first career save, securing the 4-1 victory.

As the Yankees prepare for rookie Will Warren to make a spot start in the next game, Boone can find solace in the positive direction of one of his regular rotation members.

Nestor Cortes makes big changes

Nestor Cortes made a strategic adjustment in Tuesday’s game by increasing his use of the sweeper pitch, throwing it 21 percent of the time compared to his season average of 15.6 percent. This shift in approach proved highly effective, as the sweeper induced seven swings and achieved a 41 percent rate of called strikes plus whiffs, according to Baseball Savant. This change played a key role in his dominant performance, showcasing the pitch’s value in his arsenal.

In his latest start, Nestor Cortes made big changes to his pitching repertoire, significantly reducing his cutter usage to 20 percent, down 8.9 percent from his previous outings this season. Cortes explained that the change stemmed from intuition and a pre-game discussion with his catcher. Together, they decided to diversify his pitch selection, opting to lean more on his changeup and sweeper until the opposing hitters showed they could adjust.

Nestor Cortes expressed his commitment to pitching deeper into games, recognizing the strain the heavy schedule had placed on the team. Reflecting on his recent challenges, he admitted that his performances over the last five starts had fallen short of his usual standard. During that stretch, he had allowed 24 runs in just 23 1/3 innings, leading to an inflated 9.26 ERA, while giving up 19 extra-base hits.

“I realized that we’d played a lot of games the last week or so, and a lot of doubleheaders,” the pitcher said. “You just want to go as deep as possible every time.”

“As bad as it’s seemed for me, I felt like it was one inning or one pitch or one at-bat that got me off,” he added. “I wasn’t able to come through that fifth inning; I know I’ve thrown four innings a bunch of times. It’s been that one pitch or that one at-bat where I got the base hit or the bleeder, the hard hit or the homer that hasn’t allowed me to go more into games.”

9 K Night for Nestor 👏#RepBX pic.twitter.com/0ExPQYCsVu

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 14, 2024

Nestor Cortes identified a recurring issue in his recent outings: a single inning, pitch, or at-bat often unraveled his performance. He noted his difficulty in getting past the fifth inning, frequently being limited to four innings due to critical moments where he struggled to overcome adversity, whether it was a base hit, a weak grounder, a hard-hit ball, or a home run.

This game against the White Sox marked the first time a Yankees starter had pitched seven scoreless innings since Nestor Cortes himself accomplished the feat on May 17, also against Chicago. 

Nestor Cortes’ strong performance came at a crucial time for the Yankees, offering much-needed relief for a bullpen that had been heavily taxed in recent games. In the three games leading up to Cortes’ outing, the Yankees’ starting pitchers struggled to go deep into their starts. Luis Gil was limited to four innings on Monday in Chicago, Marcus Stroman lasted just five frames against the Rangers on Sunday, and Gerrit Cole exited after recording only one out in the sixth inning during the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

This string of short starts put immense pressure on the bullpen, with eight relievers each throwing 18 or more pitches across the three-game stretch. The bullpen, under strain, allowed a troubling 20 earned runs over just 11 2/3 innings, resulting in a collective ERA of 15.43.

Aware of the team’s demanding schedule, Nestor Cortes emphasized his commitment to pitching deeper into games, understanding the importance of easing the burden on the bullpen, even after such a grueling stretch.

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