Nestor Cortes Wins SAL Pitcher of the Week Award

Cortes Earns SAL Pitcher of the Week Honors

Lefty tossed a gem in six innings against Columbia to earn SAL Pitcher of the Week

CHARLESTON, SC – The South Atlantic League has announced that Charleston RiverDogs lefty Nestor Cortes (2-0, 1.08) has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 16-22 for his performance against the Columbia Fireflies on Thursday, May 19th.

Thursday night was the third start of the season in Charleston for Cortes. The left-hander commanded the strike zone and kept hitters off balance with a dominating showing, throwing 6.0 innings, giving up no runs, two hits, one walk, and 12 strikeouts. The 5’11’’ 190 pound crafty lefty used an electric fastball, changeup, deceptive slider, and a drop-off-the-table curveball to elude Firefly bats through his outing.

For Cortes, it is the second weekly honor of his career after being named the Appalachian League hurler of the week on July 13 last season.

Cortes, a 21-year-old native of Hialeah, FL, made his Single-A debut on Sunday May 8th, after spending last season in rookie ball. With the Pulaski Yankees, the lefty posted a 6-3 record with a 2.26 ERA in 12 appearances, 10 of them starts, while striking out 66 batters in 63.2 innings to go along with 10 walks. Now in his fourth season of professional baseball, Cortes touts a career 7-6 record with a 2.61 ERA in 63.2 innings of work after being drafted by the Yankees in the 36th round of the 2013 draft Hialeah High School.

The Charleston RiverDogs begin a three game series at home with the West Virginia Power May 23-25, before heading on a weeklong road trip to Augusta May 26-29, and Greenville May 30th-June 1. The RiverDogs are currently sitting atop the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League with a 27-15 overall record and a 5.5 game lead over the Asheville Tourists.