Right now, the New York Yankees have one mission: accumulate as many wins as they can. They are in the middle of an intense push for the playoffs, fighting with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox for two spots, with other teams lurking.
Fortunately, left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. was there to provide his best start of the season on Wednesday, as the Yankees held on to escape with a narrow 4-3 victory in the late innings.
Cortes Jr was majestic all night long: over 6.1 innings, he allowed only one run, three hits, and two walks, striking out a career-high 11 hitters in the Orioles’ lineup.