Nestor Cortes Jr., who had been sidelined for 67 days due to injury, made a triumphant return to the mound on Saturday as he guided the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
After missing several months of action, Cortes showed why he is an important player for the Yankees in their push for a spot in the American League Wild Card race. Despite being on a pitch limit, the 28-year-old left-hander dazzled through four innings, striking out eight Astros and allowing just one hit and one run on a solo homer by Jose Altuve.
Cortes’ performance was particularly impressive in terms of “stuff.” He produced a season-high 17 swings and misses, the most since he had 20 in a game last year. He also reached a season high in four-seam fastball velocity, hitting 95.6 mph. According to Statcast, the average velocity was up on both his four-seam and cutter pitches, and the spin rates on four of his five pitches had also increased.
The Yankees’ bullpen also played a key role in the victory, continuing their stellar performance this season. Ian Hamilton worked two scoreless innings and struck out four batters, while Tommy Kahnle and Michael King each pitched a scoreless inning. Closer Clay Holmes sealed the win with his 16th save of the year.
Offensively, Jake Bauers provided a pivotal moment for the Yankees with a solo home run in the fifth inning, giving the team a 2-1 lead. It was Bauers’ 11th homer of the season, and he has been on a hot streak lately with a 1.111 OPS in the last seven games. Gleyber Torres also contributed to the victory with his 17th homer of the season, an opposite-field blast in the eighth inning.
With Cortes back in action and the bullpen continuing to excel, the Yankees are hopeful that they can maintain their strong performance and secure a spot in the postseason.