Relief role irks Yanks’ Cortes: ‘Now they do this’
Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes admitted he was “upset” over being used as a reliever against the Cubs, saying he was surprised by the demotion from New York’s starting rotation but that he would accept the new role if it ends up being permanent.
Cortes, a former All-Star who has worked exclusively as a starter since midway through the 2021 season, pitched 4 1/3 no-hit relief innings Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, combining with starter Clarke Schmidt for a four-hit shutout in the Yankees’ 2-0 victory.
The outspoken Cortes did not mince words after the game, calling himself the “workhorse” of New York’s rotation and citing the Yankees’ decision to name him as their Opening Day starter when ace Gerrit Cole was sidelined with an elbow injury to start the season.
“Obviously I was upset,” Cortes said. “I felt like I’ve been, amongst all the starters, the workhorse here. Once Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter — not necessarily the No. 1, but the Opening Day starter. I had to switch my routine there.
“Now they do this.”
It was the first relief appearance since July 23, 2021, for Cortes (9-10), who lowered his ERA to 3.97 and leads the Yankees with 163 1/3 innings pitched this season. He needed just 48 pitches to complete his outing Saturday, walking one and striking out three.
“I’m never going to back down from a challenge,” he said. “I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry. You’re always going to get my best effort, no matter if I’m happy or not.
“That’s what I did today. I came out there and proved I can be put in any situation. From here on out, if that’s my role, then I’ll accept it.”
Cortes is scheduled to start one of the Yankees’ four games next weekend against the Boston Red Sox, but his role going forward is uncertain as New York is set to revert to a five-man starting rotation.
Cortes, 29, struggled in his most recent start last Sunday, allowing five runs over just four innings in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. But he was outstanding in his previous three starts, yielding only one run while striking out 18 over 20 2/3 innings during that stretch.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Cortes for his performance out of the bullpen, saying it was “a testament to being a professional.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled about it this turn around,” Boone said. “But you still got a job to do, and he went and excelled at it.”
Cortes ultimately could be the Yankees’ odd man out, however, with Schmidt and Luis Gil both returning from the injured list to rejoin a rotation that includes Cole, Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman.
“I have no idea,” Cortes said when asked about his role. “This one caught me by surprise, so we’ll see.
“I know they told me that I’m starting against Boston, but after that, with a six-man rotation and off days in between, guys are going to get extra days and I don’t think that’s necessarily the right move, so we’ll see.”
Texas Tech redshirt freshman Will Hammond will start at quarterback against Oklahoma State on Saturday, a source told ESPN, marking his second straight start for the No. 14 Red Raiders.
Starting quarterback Behren Morton is recovering from a leg injury and will be available for the game, the source added, as he continues to improve. The Red Raiders have a bye after this week’s matchup with the Cowboys that will afford Morton more time to get healthy, with growing optimism he’ll return after the bye.
Hammond started last week’s 26-22 loss to Arizona State, finishing 22-for-37 for 167 yards and two touchdowns, along with 47 yards rushing and a rushing score for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech’s offense struggled for three quarters against ASU, but Hammond led two late scoring drives that he capped with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard touchdown pass.
He also ran in a two-point conversion to give Texas Tech a late lead, only to have the comeback foiled by a late ASU touchdown drive led by quarterback Sam Leavitt in the final minute of play.
Morton has put together a dominant season for the Red Raiders. Prior to the injury, he completed 68.4 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,501 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Morton’s improved health will be crucial for Texas Tech’s finishing stretch. They play at Kansas State on Nov. 1 and host No. 11 BYU on Nov. 8.
Oklahoma State has lost six consecutive games, including a 49-17 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday night.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024