Boone liked matchup for Cortes before fateful HR

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

The two left-handers were instructed to warm up at the same time. Shohei Ohtani, the best left-handed hitter in the sport, was looming. One of them would face him and the gauntlet that followed to attempt 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 just didn’t know which one manager Aaron Boone would choose.

Finally, Boone gestured for Cortes as he walked out to the mound to take the ball from Jake Cousins. Cortes, out because of a flexor strain since the end of the regular season, hadn’t pitched in a game in 37 days. Suddenly, he was thrust into the hottest of fires.

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

“Just liked the matchup,” Boone said when asked why he chose Cortes. “The reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he’s gotten ready for this.”

Boone added that he preferred Cortes over Hill, a groundball specialist, because Ohtani, a fast runner, is unlikely to ground into a double play. Cortes swiftly disposed of Ohtani, the presumptive National League MVP, thanks to Alex Verdugo‘s acrobatic catch banging into a short wall and into the crowd down the left-field line. But by rule, because Verdugo fell into an out-of-play area, the runners advanced to second and third base, leaving first base open.

Boone opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, a former MVP, to load the bases and create a more favorable lefty-on-lefty matchup against Freeman, another former MVP.

“Yes and no,” Betts said when asked if he was surprised he was intentionally walked. “I mean, it makes sense. I was ready to go either way, but I definitely understand.”

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

“I looked at it as soon as I came in,” Cortes said. “I got to the inside of the part of the plate, but just not high enough.”

Cortes’ two pitches were his first since he tossed six scoreless innings Sept. 18. A week later, he was scratched from a start and put on the injured list. He was shut down for 10 days and took a platelet-rich plasma injection, unsure if he would pitch again in 2024. It would take a deep postseason run from the Yankees to have a chance.

The Yankees did their part, winning the American League pennant, and Cortes, after throwing a 28-pitch live bullpen session Tuesday at Yankee Stadium without a hiccup, was put on the World Series roster as a reliever. He understood 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 millions of dollars if he were to have a significant setback.

“I told them since the beginning that I just 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 when I’m out there that I’m giving my best and close to 100% as possible.”

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

“Just sucks,” Cortes said. “I couldn’t come through for the guys. I know everybody’s focused on Ohtani, Ohtani, Ohtani. We get him out, but Freeman is also a really good hitter. I just couldn’t get the job done today.”