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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained his decision to pitch Nestor Cortes in the bottom of the 10th inning following a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
“Just liked the matchup,” Boone told reporters after the game. “Reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he’s gotten ready for this. I knew with one out there, it would be tough to double up Shohei. If Tim Hill gets him on the ground and then Mookie behind him is a tough matchup there, so felt convicted with Nestor in that spot.”
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Aaron Boone said he “liked the matchup” in deciding to bring in Nestor Cortes in World Series Game 1 pic.twitter.com/j47OGm1Uue
Boone also discussed his decision to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, loading the bases before Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam off Cortes.
“Just taking the left-on-left matchup there,” Boone said. “No, I didn’t deliberate long”
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“Just taking the left-on-left matchup there. No, I didn’t deliberate long”
– Aaron Boone on intentionally walking Mookie Betts to pitch to Freddie Freeman pic.twitter.com/fgveH7Ir9J
Jake Cousins initially started the 10th inning on the mound for New York, but he was pulled with runners on first and second base to go along with one out.
Boone inserted Cortes, who made his first appearance since Sept. 18. While the 29-year-old was an important member of the Yankees’ starting rotation during the regular season, he was left off their roster in the American League Division Series as well as the Championship Series due to an elbow flexor strain.
Cortes was chosen on Friday instead of Tim Hill, who has allowed just one earned run in 5.2 innings of work throughout New York’s current postseason journey.
The decision to bypass Betts to pitch to Freeman was also an interesting move. While the eight-time All-Star was coming off a National League Championship Series in which he hit .346 with two home runs and nine RBIs in six games, he hasn’t experienced success against Cortes.
In fact, Betts didn’t register a hit in five career plate appearances against the lefty heading into Friday night’s contest.
Freeman faced Cortes three times before the opening game of the Fall Classic, recording a double. While the star first baseman has been dealing with a right ankle sprain during the postseason, it was a risky move by Boone to bring him to the plate with the bases loaded and it ultimately didn’t work out.
Game 2 between New York and Los Angeles is on Saturday at 8:08 p.m. ET.
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