Nestor Cortes allowed two doubles and two infield singles in the 4th inning for 3 runs, and that was too much to allow as Baltimore beat NY 4-2 on a Tuesday night in Baltimore.
Austin Wells hit his first homer of the season, and Juan Soto hit a 447-foot BLAST in the 6th, but the 2 solo homers were all the Yanks could muster against Dean Kremer — who allowed 4 hits and 4 walks in 7 innings — but got 3 double play balls to end rallies.
“Nestor’s stuff was really good,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “That first run was a bloop down the line. The one real mistake he made was the changeup he pulled down and in to (James) McCann for the double. Otherwise, their athleticism allowed them to beat out a couple of infield hits, and the bloop; but stuff wise and attack wise, I thought he was really good.”
NY drops to 19-12, and Baltimore improves to 19-10, taking a 1-game lead in the AL East on the Yankees.
1. Nestor Had Good Stuff
Nestor Cortes had good stuff, but was done in by his defense, and a couple of doubles and infield singles.
Nestor Cortes drops down with a sinker at the shins. 🦵 pic.twitter.com/RTByvbzYfC
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 30, 2024
In the bottom of the 2nd, Anthony Santander led off with a bloop double down the right-field line that fell in after Juan Soto and Anthony Rizzo each thought the other would get it, the ball just bouncing out of Rizzo’s glove.
Santander then scored when Gleyber Torres tried to throw Santander out at 3rd on a fielder’s choice grounder — but the ball hit Santander on the back and went awry for an error.
Baltimore Scores 3 in 4th
In the bottom of the 4th, Jorge Mateo led off with a double to left, and after a strikeout, James McCann doubled in Mateo for a 2-1 Baltimore lead.
Colton Cowser then reached on an infield single up the middle that Anthony Rizzo made a great play on behind 2nd. Then Gunnar Henderson hit a bloop single that Juan Soto must missed catching — scoring a run to make it 3-1 Baltimore. Adley Rutschman then singled to center making it 4-1.
Cortes pitched a shutout 5th and 1-2-3 inning in the 6th and left trailing 4-2.
Cortes was helped in the 5th by Austin Wells who threw out Cedric Mullins trying to steal 2nd after a single.
2. Wells Hits 1st HR of Year
Good news for the Yanks — Austin Wells is Hitting. He had 6 hits in his last 13 at bats coming into the game, with 3 walks — and in this one went 2 for 3 with a walk and his first homerun of the year, in the 3rd to tie the game at 1-1.
Austin outta here 🐶 pic.twitter.com/herqUqY6An
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 30, 2024
Wells raises his average to .196 with a .338 OBP.
3. Soto with a BLAST in the 6th
Down 4-1 after the 3 Orioles runs in the bottom of the 4th, Soto got the Yanks back in the game with a 447-foot BLAST to left for a solo homer and 4-2 game in the top of the 6th.
447 ft for @JuanSoto25_ 💪 pic.twitter.com/54CXZhVOB7
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 1, 2024
4. Kremer Aided by the Double Play
But those two homers were the only runs Kremer allowed in 7 innings. He allowed 4 hits and walked 4 — but got a number of double plays:
- In the 1st, Soto walked but Aaron Judge grounded into a double play.
- In the 2nd, Giancarlo Stanton led off with a walk but Anthony Rizzo hit into a double play.
- In the 3rd after the Austin Wells homer, Kremer allowed a 1-out walk to Trent Grisham and a 2-out single to Soto, but got a final groundout.
- Kremer pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th and 5th but ran into more trouble in the 6th. After the Soto homer to make it 4-2, he walked Aaron Judge — but got Stanton to hit into a double play.
- In the 7th, Kremer allowed a 1-out single to Wells, but got Oswaldo Cabrera to ground out to end it.
Dean Kremer's 2Ks in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/PD3V0B5i9t
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 30, 2024
5. Weaver Excellent Again
More good news for the Yanks: Luke Weaver continues to impress. He pitched a shutout 7th and 8th allowing just one single.
Weaver retired the tough Baltimore lineup 1-2-3 in the 7th (Adley Rutschman strikeout, Ryan Mountcastle line out, Anthony Santander strikeout), and then after a leadoff single to Westburg in the 8th, got strikeout (Jorge Mateo), pop out (Cedric Mullins), and fly out (McCann).
6. Webb Closes for Baltimore
Anthony Volpe got a 1-out single int he 8th to bring the tying run to the plate. But Juan Soto flied out to medium left.
Baltimore brought in Jacob Webb to pitch to Aaron Judge — and Webb struck Judge out with 94-MPH four-seam fastballs and a changeup with movement.
Webb is a 30-year-old 6’2 righty who was with LA last year and came up with Atlanta. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th, striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo, and getting Gleyber Torres on a groundout for the old ballgame.
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