'The Legend of Nestor Grows': Yankees' Cortes Flirts With No-Hitter in Latest Gem
NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone put it best.
"The Legend of Nestor grows."
Nestor Cortes continued his special start to the 2022 season on Saturday afternoon, continuing to prove that last year's breakout performance was far from a fluke.
One start removed from setting a new career high with 12 strikeouts in Baltimore, Cortes took a no-hitter into the fifth inning against the Guardians in the Bronx.
Cortes couldn't keep Cleveland out of the hit column for his entire start—losing his modest no-hit bid after allowing a two-run home run with one out in the fifth—but he limited the damage and put his team in a position to win.
The southpaw struck out eight and allowed just the one hit, receiving a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after 6.1 frames. Cortes is the first Yankees starter to last into the seventh this season, throwing a total of 91 pitches.
"I thought he was really sharp today," Boone said after the 5-4 win over Cleveland. "Even when he was missing, it was just off. It was where he wanted it. I felt like he was real pinpoint, in command, efficient, working fast."
In Cortes' strikeout bonanza last week in Baltimore, it took the lefty a few frames to warm up on the mound. That wasn't the case Saturday afternoon. Leaning heavily on his cutter, as he's done all year so far, the southpaw faced the minimum through the first four innings.
In the fifth, Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor quieted the crowd at Yankee Stadium, sending a 1-1 slider soaring over the short porch in right-center field. It was Cortes' only mistake of the day.
"I thought I did pretty well commanding the zone," Cortes said, evaluating his outing. "There were some flashes where I lost a little bit of the zone. Obviously I walked two guys, which is not ideal, but I battled back and I was able to give six strong innings."
Naylor's home run ended Cortes' scoreless inning streak at 13.2 frames to start the year. Including the end of last season, Cortes hadn't allowed a run in 16 innings, the longest streak of his career.
The southpaw has a 1.15 ERA (two earned runs in 15.2 innings pitched) with 25 strikeouts and a 0.64 WHIP through his first three starts. Those are ace-like numbers from the No. 5 starter in New York's starting staff, a unit that's been dominant three trips through the rotation.
"He's really fun to play behind, he's really easy to root for, he's such a good teammate," Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo explained. "I'm really happy for his success right now. His stuff is above average in this game and the way he commands and cuts it and sinks it, his changeup and curveball, everything, it's plus stuff."
At one point during Cortes' start, Rizzo played a key role in a highlight play.
Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan smacked a ball on the ground to first with one man out in the fourth. Realizing he was a tad late running over to cover first—factoring in Kwan's speed—Cortes snagged the accurate toss from Rizzo in stride and dove to the bag.
It was a close play, with Kwan laying out in a headfirst slide as well, but first base umpire Mike Muchlinski didn't hesitate, ruling the runner out.
Cortes joked after the game about the dirt on his jersey, revealing what his teammates told him in the dugout after the play.
"That I look like an athlete out there," he said, cracking a smile. "But they don't know that I am an athlete. Under his body there's a guy that's athletic."
Whether he's making diving plays in the field or suddenly changing his timing on the rubber to mess with opposing hitters, everything has been working for Cortes of late. Since he was called up to the big-league club last May, the left-hander has a 2.73 ERA with 100 K. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in 16 of his 17 starts in that span.
"I told myself if I'm able to stay healthy the whole year, I think I can do big things," he said. "I go one inning a time, try to give as many quality innings as I can. It's fun to go six or seven innings into every game that I pitch but if I can give four or five innings, with our bullpen and our hitting I think it always gives us a shot."
MORE:
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- Aaron Judge's Two-Homer Night Leads Yankees to Win Over Guardians
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