All-Star battery mic'd up: 'What are you thinking?'
Yankees' Cortes, Trevino work through clean 6th inning in Midsummer Classic
Mark Feinsand
@feinsand
Dylan Svoboda
@dylanksvobodaNestor Cortes and Jose Trevino took the PitchCom concept to another level during the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
The first-time All-Stars and Yankees teammates were mic¡¯d up during the bottom of the sixth at Dodger Stadium, as Cortes entered the game for his All-Star debut. Trevino, who had come into his first Midsummer Classic an inning earlier, spent the sixth talking to Cortes as the two gave fans a rare glimpse of how batterymates approach different hitters.
¡°It was a little nerve-wracking; I¡¯m trying to listen to the guys, trying to say what I¡¯m going to throw, but I¡¯m still trying to execute,¡± Cortes said of being mic¡¯d up during the American League's 3-2 victory. ¡°A little overwhelming, but it¡¯s good experience. I loved it and had a lot of fun doing it, especially with me and Trevy being connected.¡±
Prior to a 2-1 pitch against Austin Riley of the Braves, Trevino asked Cortes, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±
¡°Cutter, backdoor,¡± Cortes said.
¡°OK, get it there,¡± Trevino said.
He didn¡¯t quite, missing off the plate away.
¡°Too horizontal, I messed up,¡± Cortes said under his breath.
After getting Riley to foul off the 3-1 pitch, the pair got back to strategizing.
¡°You got options here, you got heater up-and-in, you got cutter in,¡± Trevino said.
¡°Heater up-and-in,¡± Cortes said.
Another foul ball.
After some thought, Cortes made the call.
¡°Let¡¯s go heater up-and-in again,¡± he said.
Swing and a miss. Trevino quickly asked Cortes if he wanted the ball to commemorate his first All-Star strikeout, which the pitcher most certainly did.
¡°It felt great,¡± Cortes said after the game. ¡°First strikeout in the All-Star Game; hopefully the first of many. I¡¯m just happy for the opportunity; it was a dream come true.¡±
One batter later, Cortes, who¡¯s known for his colorful windups on the mound, dropped a funky one on Mets slugger Pete Alonso. The mustachioed lefty swung his right leg toward first base and back, turned his chest toward the center-field scoreboard and unleashed a 74 mph sweeper for a ball below the zone.
Alonso went on to draw a walk, then after the Braves¡¯ Dansby Swanson lined out to center field, Cortes hit Atlanta¡¯s Travis d¡¯Arnaud with a pitch, moving the potential tying run into scoring position.
Cortes responded by striking out Garrett Cooper of the Marlins to end the inning, preserving the American League¡¯s one-run lead.
¡°I was a little nervous for the buildup, but once I stepped on the mound, everything felt normal again,¡± Cortes said. ¡°I struggled a little bit throwing strikes in the beginning, but I got myself within the game and was able to do the job.¡±
Trevino, who picked up his first career All-Star hit with a seventh-inning single and finished 1-for-2, was happy that he and Cortes were able to give fans a window into the preparation pitchers and catchers do every time they take the field.
¡°It was a good experience, especially for the fans,¡± Trevino said. ¡°I hope they enjoyed it. It¡¯s a little insight of some of the prep work that goes into his side and my side coming together on the field and actually doing it.¡±