Nestor Cortes is fired up about the Yankees’ detractors.
The lefty starting pitcher took to X during the All-Star Game on Tuesday night to speak out against those who have talked badly about the Bronx Bombers.
“Everyone talks down about the yanks but they wanna be us. It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention,” he wrote on his social media account.
Cortes added that he’s excited about being in contention this year, as his team trails the Baltimore Orioles by a game in the AL East and sits 3¹/₂ games up in the first American League wild-card spot.
“I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end.”
It’s unclear if Cortes was talking about any critic specifically.
The Yankees hit a swoon at the end of June, losing 10 of their final 15 games of the month before losing the first four games to start July.
They were on the verge of a three-game sweep and moving back into first place over the Orioles to close out the first half when they stumbled in the final inning of the last game and Baltimore down to its last out.
Anthony Volpe’s misplay on a routine ground ball at shortstop extended the game before Alex Verdugo completely misjudged a fly ball from Cedric Mullins, whose would-be fly out turned into a walk-off hit.
Baltimore now goes into the second half one game up over the Yankees, who at one time held a 4¹/₂ game cushion in he AL East.
“That’s a killer,” manager Aaron Boone said after the 6-5 loss to the Orioles. “It’s been a rough several weeks here for us. Acknowledge that. The reality is, from the last couple games in Tampa into here, feel like we’re competing our asses off and starting to turn the corner and see the signs we want to see as we turn this thing around.”
On his end, Cortes has one excellent start and one not-so-great outing in two July appearances after holding the Red Sox to one run over six innings before yielding five runs in a clunker against the Rays.
Two Yankees teammates took part in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hitting third and fourth, respectively, in the AL’s starting lineup.
Soto drove in two runs with double and also walked while Judge went 0-for-2.