Juan Soto, Nestor Cortes star as Yanks shut out Marlins

Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto hit three-run homers in a six-run fourth inning, Nestor Cortes pitched a career-high-tying eight innings and the host New York Yankees cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.

After a solar eclipse postponed batting practice, the Yankees improved to 9-2 to match their best 11-game start in team history and are off to their best start since 2020. It is the eighth time in team history New York has opened with nine wins in 11 games.

Alex Verdugo added an RBI single for the Yankees, who have scored 24 runs in their three-game winning streak.

Cortes (1-1) allowed two singles and pitched eight innings for the third time in his career after posting a 6.30 ERA in his first two starts. The Miami-area native retired the first 10 hitters, struck out six and often worked quick innings.

Cortes became the first Yankees pitcher to complete eight innings since Gerrit Cole on Sept. 21, 2023. He delivered New York's longest outing of the season after Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt were pulled in the fifth inning of their starts over the weekend.

Volpe, who had three hits and two stolen bases Sunday, gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead against Miami's Jesus Luzardo (0-2) and ended the night with a .417 average. The second-year shortstop followed singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo by hitting a 1-2 slider into the left field seats.

Three batters later, Soto hit his first homer in the Bronx by sending a first-pitch changeup soaring into the right field seats. Soto celebrated by pointing to the sky while crossing home plate and exchanging forearm bumps with fellow slugger Aaron Judge.

Luzardo tied a career worst by allowing seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He also gave up seven runs against the Yankees last August in Miami and tied a career worst by issuing five walks.

After snapping a season-opening nine-game losing streak, the Marlins were blanked for the first time and had two baserunners -- Bryan De La Cruz, who singled twice.

Josh Maciejewski threw four pitches in the ninth in his major league debut to complete New York's first shutout of the season.