Nestor Cortes Carries No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning in Win Over Rangers
In this story:
Nestor Cortes entered this season as the Yankees' No. 5 starter, an unorthodox hurler hungry to prove that some success last summer wasn't a fluke.
Through the first month of the 2022 regular season, Cortes hasn't just solidified his reputation as a reliable starter in New York's rotation. He's been one of the very best starting pitchers in all of Major League Baseball.
Toeing the slab on Monday afternoon for his sixth start of the season, Cortes painted his latest masterpiece, flirting with a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers.
Cortes couldn't finish off the no-no—Rangers center fielder Eli White looped a base hit into shallow center field with one out in the top of the eighth—but 7.1 shutout innings paved the way to a 1-0 victory for those in pinstripes.
Factoring in his latest spectacular outing, Cortes now has a 1.41 ERA over 32 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts in 2022. Seattle's Logan Gilbert is the only other qualified pitcher with a lower ERA in the American League this season.
Although he quickly lost the perfect game, walking Rangers cleanup hitter Jonah Heim to start the second inning, Cortes was rolling early. He struck out five batters in a row from the third to the fourth frame and didn't allow a base runner to reach again until the sixth.
It was at that point where Cortes' pitch count started to rise. The left-hander issued another pair of walks in the seventh, putting two runners on with one man out.
After a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, however, the southpaw found a second gear. Cortes quickly got out of the jam, striking out first baseman Andy Ibañez on four pitches before inducing an inning-ending groundout off the bat of right fielder Kole Calhoun.
Cortes struck out the first batter of the eighth inning—third baseman Charlie Culberson—for his 11th strikeout of the ballgame. His no-hit bid came to an end moments later, though, as White got just enough of a full-count fastball to drop a base hit into center field.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters moments after the game that he was going to let Cortes try and finish the no-hitter even as he eclipsed the 100-pitch mark. In a 0-0 game, however, he pulled the plug as soon as Texas entered the hit column, bringing right-hander Clay Holmes in from the bullpen.
Holmes promptly got out of the inning with a double play, setting the table for Anthony Rizzo's go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the frame, scoring Aaron Judge from first base.
That one run was all the Yankees needed. Closer Aroldis Chapman shut the door in the top of the ninth, clinching New York's sixth series victory in a row, along with his seventh save of the season.
With the win on Monday, New York is the first American League team to reach 20 wins this season. The Mets are the only other team in baseball with 20 victories as of Monday afternoon.
MORE:
- Yankees' Domingo Germán Takes Step Closer to Return From Shoulder Injury
- Rangers Manager Calls Yankee Stadium 'Little League Ballpark' After Walk-Off Loss
- Michael King Continues To Be Weapon In Yankees' Bullpen
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
