PHOENIX — Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes seemed to have corrected the big problem that he had last season while creating a new one.
Either way, the left-hander still isn’t back to his 2022 All-Star form.
His new major issue is the first inning.
Cortes had a rough first last Thursday in Houston when he started on Opening Day and it happened again Tuesday night in the Arizona desert.
This time, the Yankees couldn’t overcame falling behind three runs right off the bat and their best start to a season since 1992 ended with a 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks.
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Had the Yankees won, they would have been 6-0 for just third time. They won their first seven in 1933 and first six in 1992.
After allowing three first-inning runs on five hits, Cortes kept Arizona from adding on before leaving in the sixth after walking the leadoff hitter, but the Yankees bats had their first quiet night and the result was a first loss.
On Opening Day, the Yankees rallied for a 5-4 win after Cortes was touched for three first-inning runs and another in the second before finishing his five-inning, four-run start with three zeroes.
Last year, Cortes was a complete opposite when he wasn’t dealing with a rotator cuff strain that limited him to 12 starts. In innings one through four, Cortes pitched to a 1.88 ERA. From the fifth inning on, he allowed 25 runs in 15 1/3 innings for a 14.67 ERA.
The Yankees were still in Tuesday night’s game until the seventh when new bullpen arm Jake Cousins didn’t leave a good first impressive in his debut.
Relieving lefty Victor Gonzalez with two on and nobody out, Cousins retired Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a popup to first with one pitch, but then he left an 0-1 sinker up to Christian Walker, who doubled Arizona’s lead to 6-0 with a 424-foot, three-run blast into the left-field seats.
The Yankees were shut out on three hits after scoring 29 runs in their first five games.
Arizona ace Zac Gellen worked six shutout innings, limiting the Yankees to three singles and three walks while fanning six.
NOTABLE
-- Giancarlo Stanton continued his bad start with a dreadful night, 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. In five games, he’s 3-for-20 with one homer, one RBI and 11 strikeouts.
-- Juan Soto extended his two-season, consecutive on-base streak to 39 games with a sixth-inning single.
-- Aaron Judge, who is hitting .125 after going 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout, has no homers in his first six games of a season for the second time. He went seven games without one in 2019.
-- Acquired from the White Sox for cash considerations on Sunday, Cousins struck out four in his first two innings pitching for the Yankees, but the 6-foot-4 righty allowed two runs on two hits and a walk.
LOOKING AHEAD
Wednesday: Yankees at Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m., EST, YES. LHP Carlos Rodon (0-0, 2.08) vs. RHP Merrill Kelly (1-0, 1.35).
Thursday: Off day.
Friday: Blue Jays at Yankees, 1:05 p.m., EST., YES. TBA vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00).
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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