Yankees shut out by Diamondbacks, finally suffer first loss after 5-0 start

PHOENIX — The Yankees offense bailed Nestor Cortes out from a bad first inning in Thursday’s season-opener in Houston.

No such luck in outing No. 2.

For the second straight start, Cortes allowed three first-inning runs and with perennial National League Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen on the mound, that proved too steep a hill to climb.

The Yankees, winners of their first five games in a season since 1992, saw that streak come to an end Tuesday night in a 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks in front of 39,863 at Chase Field.

The Yankees, after Wednesday afternoon’s series finale, are off Thursday before playing their home opener Friday afternoon against the Blue Jays.

Cortes (0-1), who allowed four runs over the first two innings against the Astros before settling down in a 5-4 Yankees’ come-from-behind victory, settled down Tuesday as well. The lefthander allowed those three first-inning runs, eight hits and two walks over five innings in which he struck out three.

“You’re facing a good pitcher out there,” Cortes said of Gallen. “It’s going to happen. We’ve been coming from behind a couple of times this year already and I can’t put my team in a hole that often.”

Gallen (2-0), who went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA last season in helping the Diamondbacks to a surprising World Series berth, was too good. He allowed three hits and three walks over six innings in which he struck out six.

“He was just hitting his spots, especially with two strikes he wasn’t really missing over the middle of the plate at all,” said Anthony Rizzo, who went 0-for-4.

“He had a good lane with his fastball, curveball and then the changeup off of that. He made good pitches throughout the night.”

Jake Cousins, acquired Sunday for cash considerations from the White Sox, took over for lefthander Victor Gonzalez, who earned the save Monday night, with runners at the corners and none out in the seventh. Cousins got Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to pop out but left a 1-and-2, 96-mph fastball up in the zone to Christian Walker, who hammered it 424 feet to left, his third homer making it 6-0. Cousins loaded the bases in the eighth and threw a wild pitch that made it 7-0.

The Yankees were outhit 12-3, with Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera responsible for the hits. Aaron Judge’s slow start continued as he went 0-for-3 with a walk to fall to 3-for-24 with nine strikeouts the first six games.

Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and is 3-for-20 with 11 strikeouts. Alex Verdugo, terrific on defense the opening series in Houston, went 0-for-3 and is 3-for-21.

The Yankees managed some early traffic against Gallen.

The righthander fell behind Gleyber Torres 3-and-0, the Yankees leadoff man eventually walking on a full-count fastball to start the night. Juan Soto, 3-for-19 in his career against Gallen coming in, got ahead 2-and-1 but grounded into a 3-6-3 double play. Soto finished 1-for-4. Judge walked, giving the Yankees to that point 28 walks in six games. Rizzo grounded to second to end the 17-pitch inning.

“He threw really well tonight,” Torres said of Gallen.

Ketel Marte led off the bottom half with a double, ripping an 0-and-2, 91-mph fastball down into the corner in left. Blaze Alexander followed with a ground shot back up the middle, the RBI single making it 1-0. After Gurriel Jr. flied to right, Alexander stole second and went to third on Walker’s liner to left. A bullet single to center by Eugenio Suarez made it 2-0, which earned Cortes a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake.

That provided no immediate help as Gabriel Moreno laced an RBI single to right-center, making it 3-0.

The Yankees put two on with two outs in the second when Volpe, coming off the first four-hit game of his young career Monday night, lined a single to right, improving to 9-for-15 to start the season. Cabrera then banged a single off shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to give the Yankees their second runner in scoring position in as many innings. Gallen recovered, striking out Jose Trevino to end the inning.

“We had a couple of opportunities there early where we made him [Galen] throw a lot of pitches, but he was able to make a pitch when he needed to,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Thought he was sharp and as he got going, I thought he settled in pretty well.”