Aaron Boone was “thrilled” to have right-hander Nestor Cortes on the mound to begin a vital Game 4 for the Yankees towards the Houston Astros within the ALCS on Sunday evening at Yankee Stadium. But Cortes’ evening didn’t final lengthy as he was eliminated within the third inning with left groin harm proper after giving up a game-tying three-run homer to Jeremy Peña.
Cortes’ fastball velocity dropped to 88-89 within the second inning however he had solely confronted two above the minimal, giving up a single to Peña within the first and strolling Kyle Tucker within the second. He began the third inning with a 3-0 lead. This was the identical harm that despatched Cortes to the injured checklist in August.
He walked Martin Maldonado to steer off the third. The trainers got here out to go to him earlier than the second batter, Jose Altuve, who additionally drew a stroll. It was the primary time Cortes had walked back-to-back hitters all season. He then hung a slider as much as Peña, who launched it into the left discipline seats to tie the sport.
Wandy Peralta then got here out of the bullpen to interchange him and the Astros took a run off of him to go up 4-3. Cortes was charged with three earned runs on two hits, walked three and struck out two in a little bit greater than two innings.
Cortes was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA within the postseason coming into this recreation and have become the Yankees’ unlikely ace this season when he went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA. The mustachioed right-hander who was born in Cuba and raised in Florida was initially drafted by the Yankees in 2013 however claimed by the Baltimore Orioles within the Rule 5 Draft in 2018. He was returned to the Yankees in 2018, was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2019 and have become a free agent in 2020. The Yankees signed him forward of the 2021 season.
Houston has an opportunity to remove the Yankees and clinch a World Series berth in Game 4. The winner of the sequence will face the Philadelphia Phillies, who gained the National League pennant Sunday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com