Cortes Conquers Tampa. Yankees 7 Rays 2

Nestor Cortes Jr shut out the Tampa Rays for 8 innings, carrying the Yankees to an easy 7-2 victory. Cortes left after a leadoff single in the 9th, and that runner came around to score off Wandy Peralta who allowed 2 singles and another run before getting the final out.

Meanwhile Tampa’s Ryan Yarbrough was pitching a no-hitter into the 6th, when new Yankee Matt Chapman got hit by a pitch, Marwin Gonzalez singled to break up the no hitter, and Aaron Judge singled to break up the shut out. A Miguel Andujar infield hit made it 3-0. The Yanks added a run in the 7th and 3 more in the 9th to put the game away.

“He’s a competitor. He’s a gamer,” said Aaron Judge about Cortes. “He’s not afraid of anybody. He plays with a chip on his shoulder every single time he goes out there on his starts. And that’s the kind of guy you want to play defense behind because he brings it every single start and it’s been fun to watch so far.”

1. Cortes Pitches Shut Out Into 9th

Cortes walked a batter and allowed a bloop single in the 1st but got saved by a spectacular diving catch by … Miguel Andujar in left field!

Cortes then retired 19 in a row — pitching a 1-2-3 inning for the 2nd inning through the 6th inning.

But he was pitching his shutout in the shadow of Yarbrough who was throwing a no hitter.

Cortes finally allowed a 2-out double in the 7th. By that time he had a 4-0 lead as the Yanks had finally gotten to Yarbrough in the 6th and 7th.

2. Judge Game Winner; Andujar’s HOT Bat

The Yanks could get nothing going against Yarbrough until the 6th, when Matt Chapman — whom the Yanks had just picked up earlier in the day from Texas — got hit with a pitch. Marwin Gonzalez broke up the no hitter with a single to centerfield, and then Aaron Judge singled to center for a 1-0 Yankee lead.

Miguel Andujar ripped a SHOT to shortstop that was backhanded by Taylor Walls, but his throw to 1st eluded Harold Ramirez and 2 runs scored for a 3-0 Yankee lead.

3. Small Ball Insurance Run

NY got a small-ball insurance run in the 7th when Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off with a walk, Jose Trevino reached on an infield single, Matt Chapman moved the runners with a groundout, and Kiner-Falefa scored on a wild pitch by reliever Ralph Garza Jr.

4. Yanks Put Game Away

Isiah Kiner-Falefa started another rally in the 9th — leading off with a single off Garza Jr.

Brooks Raley came in and walked Matt Carpenter and Marwin Gonzalez to load the bases with nobody out. Aaron Judge hit a sac fly to right, and Anthony Rizzo doubled down the 1st base line to make it 7-0 — and the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401354906

 

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