NEW YORK — Saturday marked a challenging return to Yankee Stadium for Brewers pitcher Nestor Cortes. Reflecting on his performance the following day, Cortes acknowledged the difficulty of surrendering five of the Yankees’ record nine home runs during a 20-9 defeat, while also managing just two innings on the mound.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Cortes admitted. “Obviously things didn’t go as planned.” After the game, a mix-up led to Cortes leaving the stadium without speaking to reporters. However, a day later, he made himself available at his locker before the series ended on Sunday.
Cortes’ shaky outing included home runs on his first pitches to Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge. Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe also took him deep before he was removed having thrown 64 pitches. The Brewers, who acquired Cortes on December 13 in exchange for former closer Devin Williams, witnessed their new left-hander struggle despite his unique pitching style and blond hair, which were well-received by fans during introductions earlier in the series.
Following the Yankees’ second inning on Sunday, the centerfield scoreboard displayed Cortes’ image, prompting fans to give him an appreciative round of applause, to which he responded by tipping his cap.
“Of course, I spent several years there, and it was a privilege not having to face them,” Cortes said. “But this is part of being a major league pitcher. You never know where your career might lead and eventually, you’ll pitch against someone you know or have a connection with, as happened yesterday.”
Originally a 36th-round pick by the Yankees in 2013, Cortes compiled a 33-21 record with a 3.80 ERA over 86 starts and 49 relief appearances spanning seven seasons. Eligible for arbitration and a potential free agent after next season, Cortes faced multiple challenges despite being an All-Star in 2022. He posted a 9-10 record with a 3.77 ERA in 31 games, including 30 starts, missing the final month of that season due to an elbow injury. Additionally, he was absent during key playoff series and notably surrendered a decisive grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the World Series’ first game.
Though that historic game-ending grand slam was difficult, Cortes faced the media, standing at his locker and fielding many inquiries following the event.