On Wednesday, the New York Yankees lost 9-7 to the Baltimore Orioles despite a late rally led by their two best hitters, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. It’s hard to win when your starter, in this case Marcus Stroman, allows six runs and 10 hits in just 3.1 innings.
Recently called-up hurler Clayton Beeter surrendered two more, and the game was getting out of hand. Only when Cody Poteet was summoned to try and stop the bleeding, the Yankees could finally get the O’s offense to stop inflicting damage.
Cody Poteet could help smooth over the loss of Nestor Cortes
Poteet, who recently overcame an injury and was called up on Wednesday to replace the injured Nestor Cortes on the roster, surrendered just one run in 3.1 innings of work, with three hits and a walk. He struck out three in the brilliant relief outing.
Whether they came from the rotation or long relief, Cortes was slated to contribute important innings to the Yankees in the stretch run and the playoffs. Those innings will likely go to Poteet, as they should.
- Yankees have acquired 6 projected starters post-Juan Soto departure
- Yankees eyeing All-Star upside from injury-prone relief arm
- Yankees could clear almost $20 million to spend with one trade
The Yankees have helped Cody Poteet develop a new weapon
Poteet is one of many recent pitchers the Yankees have been able to improve through sound planning and use of resources. In 24.1 frames with the Bombers this year, the right-handed boasts an impressive 2.22 ERA, and even if he doesn’t miss a whole lot of bats (16 strikeouts), he can be a solid back-end starter or, as he showed on Wednesday, a key long reliever.
The Yankees have guided Poteet on the path of improving his arsenal. He now has a sweeper with incredible horizontal movement and that gives him confidence to attack hitters more aggressively. He could be a valuable piece for the Yankees as they try to smooth over the loss of Cortes. It’s a matter of trust, and the Bombers can trust Poteet.
