After losing two of three to Cleveland over the weekend, the Yankees currently find themselves 1.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot. With only 12 games left, one gets the feeling that they will have to win out to guarantee themselves a spot in the postseason, and that begins with a strong showing in the series-opener against the Rangers tonight.
Néstor Cortes Jr. has been one of the lone bright sparks of the Yankees’ season. He incredibly owns the lowest ERA of any Yankee starter with at least 60 innings pitched. His pitching style has been a breath of fresh air — the way he changes timing and arm angle evokes memories of Luis Tiant and David Cone.