NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes took a beat, looking off into space in the Brewers clubhouse. The ex- Yankees starter was asked how he processes the type of outing he had against his former club on Saturday, a start where the southpaw served up five home runs and gave up eight total runs on six hits and five walks while recording only six outs. “I think just as any other day,” Cortes told reporters like Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday morning.
“Obviously I was facing my former team, but other than that, I was going to go out there to do what I needed to do, which was pitch and try and throw as many zeros as I can, which didn’t happen.” Saturday was always going to be an odd day for Cortes. He spent the last four years in pinstripes, traded to Milwaukee this past winter ( alongside prospect Caleb Durbin ) for closer Devin Williams.
Facing old teammates after a trade is always bizarre, especially with a quick turnaround. But Cortes’ start spiraled quickly and turned out to be anything but normal. He gave up home runs to Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge on the first three pitches of the bottom of the first, the first time in MLB history a team has homered on the first three pitches of the first inning.
Cortes gave up a fourth first-inning homer to Austin Wells with two outs, a blast that gave the Yankees a new franchise record for long balls in the opening frame of a game. “Obviously when you allow eight runs, it’s not a good fe.