Anthony Rizzo salvages Nestor Cortes gem after no-hit bid in Yankees’ win

As Nestor Cortes got deeper and deeper into his bid for a no-hitter Monday afternoon, there was only one problem: the Yankees were struck on their own zero in the run column.

Whatever history the left-hander might have had within his grasp threatened to be spoiled by his offense’s inability to scratch across just a single run.

But even after Cortes lost his no-hit bid with one out in the eighth inning, the Yankees made sure it wasn’t all for naught, as Anthony Rizzo’s RBI double in the bottom of the inning was enough to secure a 1-0 win over the Rangers at Yankee Stadium

Rizzo roped a fly ball into the wide-open gap in left-center field, scoring Aaron Judge from first base and sending the Yankees (20-8) to their 13th win in their past 15 games.

Pitching into the eighth inning for the first time in his career as an MLB starter, Cortes had his no-hitter broken up by Eli White’s one-out single to right-center field.

The Rangers’ first hit came on Cortes’ 103rd and final pitch of the day (one off his career-high), after which Aaron Boone came to get him. The crowd saluted Cortes with a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after giving up four walks and striking out 11.

Nestor Cortes didn’t give up a hit until there was one out in the eighth during the Yankees’ win over the Rangers on Monday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

In Cortes’ latest gem, further proving that his breakout season last year was not a fluke, he leaned on his cutter. He threw it 51 times and it induced 12 whiffs, including six of his strikeouts.

Clay Holmes relieved Cortes and rolled up a double-play ball to get out of the inning.

Aroldis Chapman then worked around a two-out single in the ninth to secure the save.

Cortes was on from the start, needing just nine pitches to get through a 1-2-3 first inning with a pair of strikeouts. In the third inning, he struck out the side, each on his cutter, and then punched out the first two batters he faced in the fourth.

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After needing 83 pitches to get through four innings in his last start against the Blue Jays, Cortes on Monday zoomed through five hitless innings on 62 pitches.

Jon Gray, meanwhile, stifled the Yankees. He did not give up a hit until Josh Donaldson’s single in the fourth inning. Joey Gallo then led off the fifth with a single before Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped out while trying to get a bunt down. But Gray left the game with a trainer seconds later, after seemingly coming up with an injury.

Brock Burke relieved Gray and was greeted by a single from Jose Trevino, a day after the ex-Rangers catcher had snapped an 0-for-24 skid. Burke then walked DJ LeMahieu to load the bases for Judge.

But Judge and Rizzo both struck out to end the threat. It marked the second straight game in which Judge had struck out with the bases loaded.

The Rangers snapped Cortes’ streak of 13 straight batters retired when White drew a one-out walk in the sixth inning. But Cortes came back to set down the next three batters to get through the sixth on 74 pitches.

Cortes walked a pair of batters in the seventh inning, sandwiched around a fielder’s choice, leading to a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Blake. Chad Green also began warming up in the bullpen as Cortes’ pitch count climbed into the mid-80s.

But Cortes rebounded by striking out Andy Ibanez and getting Kole Calhoun to ground out to end the inning at 94 pitches – already a season-high.