Nestor Cortes dominates Dodgers, pitches Padres into 1st place - ESPN

SAN DIEGO — Nestor Cortes had one of the lowest moments of his baseball life last October when he gave up the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history to Freddie Freeman.

In a new uniform and a new pennant race Saturday night, Cortes faced his Dodgers demons head-on — and he came out smiling.

The veteran left-hander produced six brilliant innings of one-hit ball while his San Diego Padres surged past Los Angeles into sole possession of first place in the NL West with a 5-1 victory.

Cortes took a perfect game into the sixth inning, flummoxing the Dodgers' high-priced lineup and combining with three relievers on a two-hitter. But he didn't see this stellar performance as redemption for his role in Freeman's now-iconic slam at Chavez Ravine and the Dodgers' ensuing five-game victory over his New York Yankees.

«Obviously there's a history,» Cortes said. «Everybody knows about it. It sucks as a player to go through those moments, but the good thing about baseball is that you always have another opportunity. Once the opportunity comes, you try and make the best out of it, and that's what I did today.»

With a sellout crowd at Petco Park cheering him on in just his fourth start for the Padres, Cortes coolly retired the Dodgers' first 16 hitters. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter while slicing through Los Angeles' collection of MVPs and standout role players with a crafty mix of pitches — and nothing faster than 92.1 mph.

«That was tremendous,» Padres manager Mike Shildt said. «We're getting to know him, and it just feels like once he gets in a rhythm, he's really good. He got in a rhythm right from the very first batter, and he just carried it through. It was a fantastic effort through six.»

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