Despite the Yankees’ hot streak leading up to their series against the Angels, it wasn’t just rain that put a damper on their performance.
Poor pitching can swiftly disrupt momentum.
The Yankees faced another rough outing on Thursday, as Nestor Cortes delivered an underwhelming performance in a 9-4 defeat to the Angels on a dreary night in The Bronx.
Nestor Cortes #65 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a home run during the first inning when the New York
Yankees played the Los Angeles Angels. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Following Will Warren’s challenging 8-2 loss in Wednesday’s doubleheader, Cortes was unable to escape a six-run fifth inning on Thursday, resulting in the Yankees (68-48) losing this series after previously winning three consecutive games.
“They fought me all night,” said Cortes. “The conditions were tough… But that’s no excuse. Both teams dealt with that adversity, and they were simply better today.”
To complicate matters further, Anthony Volpe departed from the game in the eighth inning due to “left foot pain” after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the second inning.
Nestor Cortes of the New York Yankees reacts in the dugout after he is pulled from the game. Robert Sabo for NY Post
X-rays returned negative results, and Boone remained optimistic that Volpe would be alright.
The Angels (51-64) put six runs on Cortes through nine hits and a walk across 4 ²/₃ innings.
Cortes had shown improvement during his last outing against Philadelphia when he pitched 5 ²/₃ innings allowing three runs; however, he regressed against Los Angeles.
Over his last five starts, Cortes now holds an ERA of 9.26, yielding 24 runs over just 23 ¹/₃ innings while failing to complete five innings in four of those outings.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out in bottom fourth. Getty Images
“Physically I feel good; my pitches are coming out well,” manager Aaron Boone noted. “It hinges on executing at that next level and finishing batters off when they’re at two-strike counts like tonight.”
Cortes isn’t alone; many within a rotation struggling over recent months have been experiencing similar difficulties yet Boone expressed faith that they “have everything we need.”
