Boone liked the matchup for Cortes before the unfortunate HR

LOS ANGELES — Yankees relievers Nestor Cortes and Tim Hill waited for a signal from their manager in the visitors' bullpen at Dodger Stadium, down the right-field line, in the 10th inning Friday night.

Both left-handers were instructed to warm up simultaneously. The best left-handed hitter in the sport was Shohei Ohtani. One of them will face him and face the next gauntlet of trying to record the final two outs to hold New York's one-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series. Both were ready. They didn't know exactly which manager Aaron Boone would choose.

Finally, Boone motioned for Cortes to take the ball from Jack Cousins. Has not pitched in a game in 37 days, off the court with a flexor strain since the end of the regular season. Suddenly, he was thrown into the heat of the fire.

It took one pitch to retire Ohtani, pulling the Yankees within a win. Freddie Freeman launched Cortes' next pitch into the right-field pavilion for a walk-off grand slam to give the Dodgers a 6–3 victory.

“Just liked the matchup,” Boone said of why he chose Cortes. “The reality is he's thrown the ball really well the last few weeks because he's prepared for it.”

Boone added that he preferred Cortes to Hill, a groundball specialist, because Ohtani, a fast runner, is less likely to engage in double plays. Cortes quickly disposed of Ohtani, the presumptive National League MVP, as Alex Verdugo's acrobatic catch hit a short wall and down the left-field line into the crowd. But, according to the rules, because Verdugo had fallen into out-of-play territory, the runners advanced to second and third base, leaving first base open.

Boone then intentionally chose Mookie Bates, a former MVP, to load the bases and create a more advantageous lefty-on-lefty matchup against Freeman, another former MVP.

“Yes and no,” Bates said when asked if he was surprised he was walking deliberately. “I mean, it makes sense. I was ready to go, anyway, but I must have understood.”

Freeman was 1 for 3 with a double against Cortes — a June 8 matchup this season — before stepping into the batter's box. Hunting the fastball, he got one down and inside at 92 mph and pounced.

“I looked at it as soon as I came in,” Cortes said. “I reached the inside of the plate section, but not high enough.”

Cortes' two pitches were his first since tossing six scoreless innings on September 18. A week later, he was scratched from the start and placed on the injured list. He was sidelined for 10 days and received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, leaving it uncertain whether he would be able to pitch again in 2024. A deep postseason run from the Yankees should be a given.

The Yankees did their part, winning the American League pennant and Cortes, after throwing a 28-pitch live bullpen session at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, was placed on the World Series roster as a reliever. He realized he was taking a risk by pushing himself. Flexor strains often lead to major elbow injuries. A free agent after next year, Cortes could cost himself several million dollars if he has a significant setback.

“I told them from the beginning that I don't want to be on this roster because it's the World Series,” Cortes said before the game. “I want to be able to contribute and make sure that when I'm out there that I'm giving my best and as close to 100 percent as possible.”

Cortes said he “felt better than expected” while warming up in the bullpen. His fastball velocity in his live bullpen sessions, 88 to 90 mph, kept a few ticks on the radar gun. Adrenaline flows through him. He worked for that moment. He waited weeks for a signal from his manager on Friday night, and it ended in stunning disappointment.

“Just suck,” Cortes said. “I couldn't come up for guys. I know everybody's focused on Ohtani, Ohtani, Ohtani. We get him out, but Freeman's a real hitter too. I just couldn't get the job done today.”