Making his long-awaited return from injury, Nestor Cortes outdueled Justin Verlander, tossing four innings allowing a run on one hit with eight strikeouts while pitching on a strict pitch limit. The Yankees have a chance to take three of four from the Astros tomorrow, something that would have appeared unthinkable only one week ago. Before we get to that, let’s recap the rest of the action on a busy Saturday.
Detroit Tigers (49-61) 4, Tampa Bay Rays (67-46) 2
Rays deadline acquisition Aaron Civale looked shaky in his first start for his new team, giving up three runs on nine hits in 4.