The Yankees’ pitching staff tossed a gem and the offense delivered with nine hits, including two home runs, to beat the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon, 3-1.
The Yankees took a risk bringing Nestor Cortes back from the injured list. Sure, Cortes looked great in his two rehab starts with minor league affiliates, working back from a serious rotator cuff strain, but the left-hander hadn’t pitched against big-league hitters since May 30.
Cortes didn’t just smother Houston’s offense over four innings, setting the tone in a 3-1 win. He delivered his best start of the season.
The left-hander was in total control, striking out a season-high eight batters. Astros hitters whiffed 17 times against Cortes, coming up empty on exactly half of their swings. The only hit that Cortes allowed was his lone mistake, a two-strike cutter that leaked over the heart of the plate to leadoff man Jose Altuve — Altuve made him pay, crushing a solo home run 403 feet to left.
Cortes ended up throwing 64 pitches, handing the ball over to the best bullpen in baseball in the fifth. Yankees relievers lived up to that reputation the rest of the way as Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle, Michael King and closer Clay Holmes barely broke a sweat over five spotless innings, allowing just one base hit in that span.
In the fifth, the Yankees took the lead on a solo homer from Jake Bauers, his 11th of the season. His blast off starter Justin Verlander soared high into the second deck in right field, a 410-foot no-doubter. Gleyber Torres’ solo shot in the eighth off reliever Kendall Graveman gave Holmes more of a cushion to work with in the ninth.
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