The New York Yankees continue to turn their season around and extend their winning streak to a season-high eight games, with a commanding 10-2 win over the Twins.
Where has the resurgence come from? Well, look no further than replacement pitcher Nestor Cortes or “Nasty” as his teammates like to call him.
The Yankees have now won four of Cortes’ five starts since he joined the rotation which is remarkable given Nestor Cortes was the fourth choice pick behind Corey Kluber, Luis Severino and Domingo Germán, who all remain on the injury list.
“It’s hard to imagine where we’d be without him,” manager Aaron Boone said after the win and will have a difficult decision to make when the other injured players return.
Cortes completed seven innings for the first time in his career matching his career high of seven strikeouts against the Twins.
Cortes said. “it’s good to go out there and just throw strikes and be able to get outs.”
Cortes made 33 appearances for the Yankees in 2019 but the Yankees traded him to the Mariners that November. He was released by Seattle in 2020 before becoming a free agent last fall. Cortes returned to the Yankees in December to play minor league but became the Yankees first choice pitcher. His role in New York’s success this season is surprising and a tonic for all those players who don’t find success the first time around.
“He’s been great,” Boone said. “I think the difference between ‘19 and now is that he’s a better pitcher — better delivery, better command, crisper stuff.”
His Team mates have been wearing “Nasty Nestor” T-shirts during practice, given Nestors large moustache, the shirts feature Super Mario throwing a fireball.
Cortes said of the shirts. “When you get a shirt like that, it’s like you finally made it. It’s fun to wear those and have teammates around you that support you. Having some success now, it feels good to actually start games and put your team in a good position to win”
The Yankees remain in the wild card position for the playoffs but are now only one point behind Houston and the White Sox
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay | 75 |
| Houston | 72 |
| Whte Sox | 72 |
| ___________ | ___________ |
| Yankees | 71 |
| Oakland | 70 |
A gambling industry veteran of 20 years, Andrew Carter has covered sports and gambling for a number of local newspapers in the USA - and now focuses on sports betting analysis & content for Vegas-Odds.com
