Nestor Cortes‘ The struggles continued late Wednesday as the Yankees blew a four-run lead and lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 9-6.
Four things to learn from Wednesday’s rain-delayed game
1. Unable to pitch with a 5-1 lead in the seventh inning, Cortes (4-3, 5.30 ERA) turned the Orioles around in a game that should have been over. completion Anthony Santandernor leadoff go and Austin Hays‘ single to left field, Adam FrazierA three-run homer down the right-field line suddenly cut the Yankees to a 5-4 edge. Jimmy Cordero replaced Cortes, but the bleeding continued as Baltimore beat New York — including Albert Abreuwho retired Cordero — for five more runs.
Cordero and Abreu allowed a combined five runs on five hits, but the avalanche started with Cortes, whose inability to pitch effectively deep into his starts is a recent trend. Through 10 starts, he’s only gone seven innings once.
Before last Thursday’s quality start in a 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Cortes’ previous four outings had been awful, including an 8.53 ERA and 6.01 FIP in 19 IP. The Yankees need more from Cortes, who scattered four runs (three earned) on five hits (two homers) and went five to two walks while throwing 89 pitches (63 strikes) in 6 IP but set the stage for a perfect interpretation when the The game is all in New York.
2. The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom half of the seventh, and Anthony RizzoA single to center field cut the Orioles’ lead to 9-6, but DJ LeMahieunor strikeout swinging and Harrison Badernor ground out to third base stranded Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge in scoring position.
3. Before Cortes and the bullpen exploded in the seventh, the first six innings saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Torres emerged as the initial stars of the game.
The left fielder who hit No. 8 spot and the leadoff-batting second baseman was the entire Yankees 5-1 lead, starting with Kiner-Falefa’s third-inning triple. Torres hit a two-run homer to left-center field to draw first blood and put New York ahead 2-0, and Kiner-Falefa blasted two consecutive blasts of his own to left in the fifth that drove the Yankees. ‘ 4-1 lead.
Two batters later, Torres sent a solo shot down the left-field line for his second of the night and ninth of the season that put New York in command of a 5-1 cushion entering the sixth. innings.
4. The Orioles (32-17) snapped the Yankees’ five-game winning streak while New York (30-21) moved back three games behind Baltimore for second place in the AL East. The Tampa Bay Rays, who improved to 36-15 with Wednesday’s 7-3 win over the Blue Jays (26-24), are now six games behind the Yankees.
Highlights
What’s next
The rubber match for this week’s three-game series between the Yankees and Orioles is set for Thursday.
in New York Clarke Schmidt (2-4, 6.00 ERA) and Baltimore Kyle Gibson (5-3, 4.27 ERA), both right-handers, are the likely pitcher for the 7:05 pm start at Yankee Stadium.
