Nestor Cortes allows three runs, Austin Wells has two hits in Yankees' 5-2 loss to Braves
Opening Day starter Nestor Cortes allowed three runs over four innings and catcher Austin Wells had two hits and drove in a run as the Yankees fell to the Atlanta Braves, 5-2, on Thursday in North Port, Fla.
Here are the takeaways...
- Cortes, facing the Braves’ best lineup, froze Ronald Acuna Jr. with a cutter on the inside corner for a called strike three to start the first and got Matt Olson to swing through a breaking pitch to end the frame.
The left-hander, who was mixing in off-speed pitches early in the count with fastballs up in the zone, was through three innings on just 40 pitches while allowing a walk and a hit.
Cortes appeared to get squeezed on a couple of calls to start the fourth by home plate umpire Derek Thomas as he walked Austin Riley. He then allowed an infield hit on a grounder to third that should have been handled by Caleb Durbin, putting two on and one out. That set up Michael Harris’ game-tying single through the right side of the infield. A 6-4-3 double play got the lefty out of the jam.
Orlando Arcia launched a 3-2 offspeed pitch that got too much of the middle of the plate for a home run to start the home half of the fifth. Jarred Kelenic followed with an opposite-field shot off the wall in left for a triple and scored on Acuna’s sharply hit single to center to end Cortes’ day.
His final line: 4.0 innings (plus three batters in the fifth), six hits, three runs (all earned) with two walks and three strikeouts on 75 pitches.
- Wells started the fourth inning off with a double down the right field line that just got under the glove of Atlanta's first baseman. The catcher knocked in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, sneaking a grounder past a drawn-in infield. He went 2-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
- Oswaldo Cabrera got the Yanks’ first hit of the day on a liner to left off of the Braves’ veteran starter Charlie Morton. After starting the game in right field, he switched to play first base in the sixth inning. Cabrera finished the day 1-for-2 with a walk.
- Morton had cruised through the first three innings but loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on back-to-back walks after a leadoff double. The 40-year-old right-hander got Jahmai Jones swinging before plunking Durbin on the knee to score the game's first run.
Greg Allen, who entered the day with four hits in 22 at-bats, popped out to shallow left-center to leave the bases loaded. Allen went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
- RHP Dennis Santana was first out of the bullpen for the Yanks and got past a leadoff walk to strike out Atlanta's 3-4-5 hitters (Riley, Olson, Ozuna) swinging to strand two runners.
- Alex Verdugo, batting leadoff and playing left field, singled on a liner to left to start the fifth. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Verdugo finished 1-for-3 with a pair of ground outs to second.
- Anthony Volpe, who leads the Yankees with his 45 spring training at-bats, popped out three times to go 0-for-3.
Highlights
What's next
Right-hander Luis Gil gets the start for the Yankees for Friday's 1:05 p.m. first pitch against the Mets, who are handing the ball to six-foot-nine righty Tyler Stuart.
