At a crucial moment in his career, pitcher Néstor Cortés faced his demons of the past and emerged victorious. In a new uniform and with the excitement of a new season, Cortés proved his worth on the mound. The veteran lefty delivered six brilliant innings, allowing only one hit, as the San Diego Padres outmatched Los Angeles, securing first place in the National League West with a 5-1 victory. Cortés was on the verge of throwing a perfect game, dominating the Dodgers’ offense and combining with three relievers for a total of two hits. Despite this outstanding performance, Cortés did not see it as redemption for his role in Freddie Freeman’s historic home run in the past.
Facing a packed Petco Park, in his fourth start with the Padres, Cortés retired the first 16 Dodgers hitters with mastery. He struck out three and didn’t concede any walks, using a variety of pitches that disoriented the hitters, without exceeding 92.1 mph.Obviously, there’s a story. Everyone knows it. It’s horrible as a player to go through those moments, but the good thing about baseball is that you always have another chance. Once the opportunity arrives, you try to make the most of it, and that’s what I did today.
Néstor Cortés
The Dodgers couldn’t get on base until Miguel Rojas singled with one out in the sixth inning. Cortés regrouped, retiring Shohei Ohtani to finish the inning and his performance of the night. This performance was even more impressive considering that Cortez is still adjusting to his new teammates and coaches on the Padres, who acquired him at the July 31st trade deadline. Cortés knows he has arrived on a team that could give him the opportunity to write a new story in October, and he is eager to see how far the Padres can go.It was tremendous. We are getting to know him, and it seems that once he gets into a rhythm, he is really good. He got into a rhythm from the first batter, and just kept it up. It was a fantastic effort in six innings.
Mike Shildt, Padres Manager
These guys are resilient. They are not at the top of the standings for no reason. Even long before I got here, watching them from the East Coast, they are a team that fights, a team that goes out and plays hard. Now, being a part of them, you can see how everyone is united here. There is camaraderie, and everyone is trying to win.
Néstor Cortés
