Nestor Cortes may be the most underappreciated starting pitcher in the majors.
When the left-hander threw his 103rd pitch, he was five outs from a no-hitter, and No. 9 hitter Eli White looped a single. Cortes is a regular starter in the major leagues, rocked back twice and grinned with frustration and satisfaction.
Cortes, Clay Holmes, and Aroldis Chapman combined on a two-hitter, Anthony Rizzo doubled in the eighth, and the Yankees won their sixth straight series.
Cortes is 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA, top five in the major leagues and New York’s AL-best 20-8 record. In 32 innings, he has 42 strikeouts and 11 walks with .177 average.
Cortes concentrated on fastballs and cutters, improved his conditioning, increased his average fastball velocity by 2 mph, and joined the Yankees rotation at halfway of the season.
Cortes’ fastball velocity of 90.4 mph ranks 134th out of 158 pitchers.
Cortes making his 22nd start and sixth this season, pitched 7 1/3 innings, walked four, and struck out 11, one shy of his career high.
Even after walking two batters in the seventh, Boone was willing to let Cortes go for a no-hitter as he didn’t go beyond 105-110 pitches.
Holmes (4-0) entered the game and got Semien into a double play. Aaron Judge singled off Brett Martin (0-3) in the eighth.
Despite scoring only five runs, New York has won 13 of its last 15 games and two of three in the series.
Cortes was beaming with pride.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (2-0) starts Tuesday’s opener of a two-game series against Toronto and LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-1). Severino will be pitching on eight days’ rest.
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