Nestor Cortes dominates Dodgers, pitches Padres into 1st place

SAN DIEGO — Nestor Cortes had one of many lowest moments of his baseball life in October when he gave up the primary walk-off grand slam in World Series historical past to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman.

In a brand new uniform and a brand new pennant race Saturday night time, Cortes confronted his Dodgers demons head-on — and he got here out smiling.

The veteran left-hander produced six sensible innings of one-hit ball whereas his San Diego Padres surged previous Los Angeles into sole possession of first place within the National League West with a 5-1 victory.

Cortes took an ideal recreation into the sixth inning, flummoxing the Dodgers’ high-priced lineup and mixing with three relievers on a two-hitter. But Cortes did not see this stellar efficiency as redemption for his function in Freeman’s now-iconic slam at Chavez Ravine and the Dodgers’ ensuing five-game victory over his New York Yankees.

“Obviously, there’s a history,” Cortes mentioned. “Everybody knows about it. It sucks as a player to go through those moments, but the good thing about baseball is that you always have another opportunity. Once the opportunity comes, you try and make the best out of it, and that’s what I did today.”

With a sellout crowd at Petco Park cheering him on in simply his fourth begin for the Padres, Cortes coolly retired the Dodgers’ first 16 hitters. He struck out three and did not stroll a batter whereas slicing by Los Angeles’ assortment of MVPs and standout function gamers with a artful mixture of pitches — and nothing sooner than 92.1 mph.

“That was tremendous,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned of Cortes. “We’re getting to know him, and it just feels like once he gets in a rhythm, he’s really good. He got in a rhythm right from the very first batter, and he just carried it through. It was a fantastic effort through six.”

The Dodgers could not even get on base till Miguel Rojas produced a one-out single within the sixth. Cortes calmly regrouped, retiring Shohei Ohtani for the third time on a fly ball to finish the inning and his night time.

The efficiency was much more spectacular as a result of Cortes continues to be attending to know his teammates and coaches with the Padres, who acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers on the July 31 commerce deadline in a flurry of strikes which have considerably improved an already robust roster.

The Yankees traded Cortes to the Brewers final winter in a bundle for nearer Devin Williams, however Cortes made solely two begins for Milwaukee earlier than lacking 4 months with an elbow harm.

Cortes won’t have had a job with MLB-best Milwaukee, however he has match completely in a gap within the Padres’ rotation. He gave up 4 runs within the first inning on Monday towards the visiting San Francisco Giants, however Cortes has allowed solely three earned runs in his different 20 innings for San Diego.

Cortes is aware of he has landed with a group that would give him an opportunity to put in writing a brand new October historical past, and he is desperate to see how far the Padres can go.

“These guys are resilient,” Cortes mentioned. “They’re not at the top of the standings for no reason. Even long before I got here, watching them from the East Coast, it’s a team that battles, a team that goes out there and plays hard. Now, being part of them, you can tell how everybody is here together. It’s a camaraderie, and everybody is just trying to win.”