Cortes gave up 6 hits, 5 of them HRs during his first start for the Brewers
Nestor Cortes gave up 6 hits, 5 of them HRs and added 5 walks during his first start against his former team, the Yankees. Here’s what he had to say after the 20-9 loss.
The brief but statistically fascinating Milwaukee Brewers tenure of Nestor Cortes picked up an interesting grace note Aug. 18 when the now-San Diego Padres pitcher served up three homers in the first inning.
Cortes allowed home runs to San Francisco’s Heliot Ramos and Rafael Devers — the first two batters of the game — then allowed a one-out, two-run homer to Wilmer Flores for a third longball in the frame. His only out in between: A groundout by former Brewers shortstop Willy Adames.
That put the Padres behind, 4-0, before even coming to the plate, though Cortes settled immediately and the Giants had to hold on for a 4-3 victory at Petco Park.
Brewers fans have seen something similar before. Cortes infamously allowed homers on his first three pitches against his former team, the New York Yankees, in the second game of the season, when Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge all went deep for a 3-0 lead in what became a wild 20-9 win over the Brewers on March 29. Austin Wells took Cortes deep for a fourth time later in the inning.
Cortes made only two starts for the Brewers in 2025. His debut, after the Brewers acquired him from the Yankees in a deal that sent Devin Williams to the Bronx, turned into an epic disaster, with five walks and five homers allowed in two-plus innings.
And then, his second start was excellent. He allowed one hit and two walks over six shutout innings in a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Then came an elbow flexor strain and, just as he prepared to return, he was dealt to San Diego in the trade that brought Brandon Lockridge to Milwaukee.
Now, he’s with the Padres, a team squarely in the playoff hunt and potentially a postseason foe for the Brewers. And, as with the Brewers, he’s worked two strong outings (a combined three earned runs allowed in 9⅓ innings) before this one, in which he was on the hook for four earned runs in 5⅔ — but again, no runs after that first inning.
Only Jonathan Cannon of the Chicago White Sox has allowed more first-inning home runs than Cortes’ eight this season (which includes one to Corbin Carroll in a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks), and Cortes has made only five starts. On five occasions, a pitcher in Major League Baseball has allowed three or more first-inning homers this season, and Cortes is responsible for two of those.
But, after the first inning, Cortes has allowed just five runs in 18 innings, and four of those were in the season opener against the Yankees.