Nestor Cortes: Yankees will “trust our process” in second half of season
Nestor Cortes spoke with USA TODAY Sports about the Yankees season and why Carlos Rodon making his long waited debut is huge for the team.
SportsPulse, USA TODAY
The Chicago Cubs are one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, but they accomplished something Friday night that they had never done before: They won a game at Yankee Stadium.
Jameson Taillon’s gem paced the Cubs to a 3-0 victory over the Yankees, earning the franchise its first win over the Bronx Bombers in New York. The Cubs entered the game with an 0-12 mark in games played at Yankee Stadium I and II, including an 0-4 mark in the World Series.
Interleague play was not introduced until 1997, which limited the teams’ appearances against each other before then to the World Series — and both of their meetings in the Fall Classic (1932, 1938) ended in Yankees sweeps. The Cubs didn’t play a regular-season series in the Bronx at all until 2005.
“New year,” Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, who homered in the game, said on the field afterwards. “(Taillon) was really good today. That was awesome to see.”
Taillon, who spent the prior two seasons with the Yankees, allowed just one hit over eight innings. He struck out four and walked two in a 102-pitch night. Adbert Alzolay closed out the win in the ninth, allowing just one more hit as the Yankees’ offensive issues continued.
“I just needed an outing like this period,” Taillon said. “I have a lot of love for those guys over there, so it’s not like I wanted to stick it to them. This wasn’t like any sort of revenge game or anything like that. … But it does feel good on this stage in New York City to have a good night.”
The Cubs’ win and Taillon’s performance overshadowed the season debut of Carlos Rodon. The Yankees’ big offseason free agent signing pitched 5⅓ innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two and walking two over 69 pitches.
“It’s nice to finally pitch in the pinstripes in Yankee Stadium,” Rodon said, “but not the way I wanted to start.”
Contributing: Associated Press
