ALDS: Nestor Cortes Pitches Yankees Past Cleveland Guardians

Before contributing a 2.61 E.R.A. over the last two seasons, Cortes worked as a mop-up man who couldn’t stick with the Yankees, or even the Baltimore Orioles or the Seattle Mariners.

He recorded a 15.26 E.R.A. over seven and two-thirds innings with Seattle in 2020, and that was it for his major league campaign that year. This season, he became a first-time All-Star — and saved the day in the Yankees’ most important game to date.

“I was lucky enough for the organization and the Yankees to believe in me to bring me back in 2021,” Cortes said. “And from there on, everything just jump started to what I’ve been doing today. I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me. I’m grateful for everybody in the front office and coaches, I mean, down the line, for the opportunity to believe in me. I’m glad I was able to show it today.”

For Boone, there was never any doubt.

“Just the legend of Nestor,” Boone said, repeating a phrase he’s used before, when asked what gave him confidence in a pitcher who had been designated for assignment twice in his career.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/sports/baseball/nestor-cortes-yankees-alds.html