Cortes Navigates Rough White Sox Waters. NY 5 ChiSox 3

August 15, 2021 paperbacklou 2021 0

Nestor Cortes Jr.turned in another masterful performance to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the White Sox in Chicago, allowing NY to take 2 of 3 in the weekend series. It pulled the 65-52 Yanks to within 5.5 of 1st place Tampa, who lost.

1. Cortes the Conqueror

Nestor Cortes Jr.pitched like an ace again — as he has done so many times since being turned into a starter by manager Aaron Boone a month ago. He used a beguiling array of pitches and deliveries to shut down the potent White Sox lineup.

Cortes had a shutout through 5 innings, allowed a run in the 6th — and left with a 3-1 lead. His line: 6 innings (98 pitches; 68 strikes), 7 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk — and the victory. He is now 1-1 2.55 on the season.

2. Yanks Tired Giolito Out; Got 3 in the 2nd

The Yanks were up against front-line Chicago starter Lucas Giolito — who entered 9-8, 3.81 — and they worked him from the start. Brett Gardner set the tone with a 12-pitch at bat against Giolito in the top of the 1st — including 6 straight foul balls on a 2-2 count, before finally walking. Aaron Judge then walked on 6 pitches. Joey Gallo worked a 7-pitch at bat before striking out. NY didn’t score in the 1st but Giolito was already at 33 pitches.

The Yanks then jumped on Giolito in the 2nd — Luke Voit led off with a single, and Rougned Odor hit a homer to right center for a 2-0 lead.

Giolito got tough, striking out Kyle Higashioka and Tyler Wade — but DJ LeMahieu singled and Brett Gardner doubled, the throw to 2nd getting away for an error allowing LeMahieu to score for a 3-0 lead.

Joey Gallo pushed a bunt to an empty 3rd base with the shift on in the 3rd for an easy single — he didn’t score or anything but the fact that he does things like that bodes well for the Yankees in the future.

Gardner worked Giolito for a 6-pitch walk in the 4th — on the afternoon Gardner worked Giolito for 2 walks and an RBI double — forcing Giolito to throw him 23 pitches in 3 at bats.

Giolito was gone after 4 innings, with 101 pitches thrown.

3. Ridings & Loaisiga Provide Welcome Relief

Stephen Ridings was impressive in the 7th — walking the first batter but then striking out Zack Collins and getting a double play to end the inning. He walked the first batter in the 8th and was replaced by Jonathan Loaisiga who was filthy — getting 3 straight outs; groundout, strikeout, pop out.

4. Voit Insurance Bomb

Giancarlo Stanton led off the 9th with a double off ChiSox reliever Matt Foster, and then Luke Voit hit a HUGE insurance bomb — a 2-run homer for a 5-1 Yankee lead.

5. Another Nail Biting 9th

The Yankees couldn’t possibly blow a 5-1 lead in the 9th could they? Those were the thoughts running across Yankee Twitter minds but dismissed as too much negativity. Until Lucas Luetge walked the leadoff batter.

And then a single to left. Then a fly out behind shortstop that Andrew Velazquez made a terrific over-the-shoulder catch on for out #1.

Then a double to right for a 5-2 game and Luetge was GONE.

Manager Aaron Boone brought Wandy Peralta in, and he allowed an infield single to Voit wherein Tim Anderson just beat Peralta to the 1st base bag. It scored a run to make it 5-3, 1st and 3rd, only 1 out — and the tying run at 1st, the winning run at the plate.

You can imagine Yankee Twitter at this junction in time.

But Wandy Peralta then induced Cesar Hernandez to hit a tailor-made double play to 2nd for the old ballgame. PHEW.

Etcetera

  • Aaron Judge went 0-2 but walked 3 times; he’s at .285 (.373 OBP)
  • Luke Voit went 3-5 with 2 RBI and the homer; he’s at .234 (.314 OBP)
  • Brett Gardner went 1-3 with 2 walks; he is at .212 (.328 OBP)

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401228828

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