“It’s tough to pitch in the big leagues when you don’t have your best stuff,” Nestor Cortes said following a rough outing on Saturday afternoon in The Bronx. The Yankees suffered a 9-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, marking a large departure from Cortes’ typical dominance in The Bronx.

Aaron Boone acknowledged this as he met with the media to discuss today’s starters, particularly Nestor Cortes. Entering Saturday afternoon’s start in The Bronx, Cortes had a lot working in his favor. That included the lowest ERA at home among any pitcher (1.81) and a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that ranked fifth-lowest in OPS and scored the fourth-fewest runs in the majors. However, it quickly unraveled for him and the Yankees. It was an unfortunate turn that proved critical, putting the Rays up 4-0 and making it the 14th homer the Yankees have allowed to a ninth-place hitter this season.

Nestor Cortes’ performance was a disappointment for manager Aaron Boone

For the most part, Nestor Cortes’ home-field magic unraveled into a disastrous 9-1 loss to the Rays Saturday in The Bronx. The Yankees southpaw had a very out-of-character afternoon on the Stadium mound, allowing six runs on eight hits three of which were homers and two walks. His usual dominance was missing and the Rays had taken full advantage. “Thought the profile of the stuff was there just,” manager Aaron Boone said before taking a long pause, “probably not his best stuff. Just had a hard time finishing some guys. Usually, especially lately, even when he’s had a game when he hasn’t been perfect he still had that kinda swing and miss top of the zone or could get in guys.”

Cortes’ exit underlined the type of situation the Yankees faced such a big part of the season. The performance over the coming weeks will go a long way in deciding what kind of playoff fate awaits them. With the looming trade deadline, adding a player like Isaac Paredes could be the difference-maker.

In the key fourth, with a single and a walk putting two runners on base, Alex Jackson hit a three-run bomb just out of reach beyond the wall in right, just beyond Aaron Judge’s leaping attempt. “Just having a hard time putting guys away and they made him pay a little bit … overall, just a little bit of grind today,” Boone noted. It was a moment that epitomized Cortes’ struggle in closing out innings and locating his pitches.

Nestor Cortes broke his silence on the matter

The performance problems for Nestor Cortes on Saturday were quite divergent from his usual home dominance. He entered the game with a league-best 1.81 ERA when pitching at home, so he was pitted against a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that should have been manageable, given their fifth-lowest OPS and fourth-fewest runs scored in the league. However, Cortes just wasn’t able to put guys away, working deep counts over and over before the Rays finally capitalized when he made mistakes.

“We’ve been grinding…. We’re one or two games back after today. Everybody is saying how bad we’ve been playing but you look across the league and see we’re right there with them…. This team is just a tick away from being great, an admixture of realism and optimism.”. : Said Cortes. He does acknowledge that the team has struggled, especially in the last few weeks, but claims they have still been competitive in the league. While the Yankees haven’t done too well lately, Cortes says they really are not too far from becoming competitive and dominant again.

Despite the first-pitch strike to 17 of the 22 batters he faced, Cortes couldn’t hold on to control. He was tattooed for six runs on eight hits, including three home runs. The whole thing unraveled in the fourth, as with two outs and two runners on, he walked Alex Jackson, who hit the next pitch for a three-run homer. This mistake was then compounded by another homer allowed in the fifth inning to further show he couldn’t close out an inning after allowing the homer.

Thus, Nestor Cortes’ uncharacteristic struggles against the Rays served as a microcosm for the type of volatility the Yankees have had to endure this season. Entering the game with gaudy home stats, Cortes was unable to deliver—much like the 9-1 loss the club took. Their manager, Aaron Boone, knows from failing to shut the door on hitters to bigger trends for a pitching staff that has hung them solely on the back of key sluggers like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, there is much to improve on.

For all its excitement, the Yankees’ season has become a real rollercoaster: dominant early but with recent struggles. Cortes’ performance encapsulates these broader challenges. Of course, the real challenge will be the road ahead, but with players like Judge and Soto, and hopefully Cortes, it will give them the money to travel it effectively.

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