Nestor Cortes, Yankees drop Game 1 of World Series 2024

LOS ANGELES — Nestor Cortes needed to get two outs, registering the first as Alex Verdugo snared a Shohei Ohtani pop fly, flipping over a short wall down the left-field line. It was a terrific grab, one that might have been one of the most replayed moments from Game 1 of the World Series if not for what happened next.

Cortes thanked his outfielder, exhaling on the mound. Now just one out from a victory, manager Aaron Boone opted to walk Dodgers star Mookie Betts to get a lefty-lefty matchup with first baseman Freddie Freeman. Cortes chose to start with a fastball, one that the Dodgers star jolted for the first walk-off grand slam in the Fall Classic’s lengthy history, sending the Yankees to a 6-3 loss at Dodger Stadium.

“I think if I make my pitch there, obviously it’s a different result,” Cortes said. “I didn’t stay on the field long enough to think about it or see him run the bases. I just walked in, kind of turned the page right there and then.”

It was a wild flip of emotions for Cortes, who was included on the World Series roster earlier Friday after not having pitched since Sept. 18 due to a left elbow flexor strain.

But he had pitched well in simulated action, most recently tossing 28 pitches from the Yankee Stadium mound on Tuesday. That session convinced the Yankees that they could use Cortes as an extra reliever to challenge the tough lefties in the Dodgers lineup, specifically Ohtani and Freeman. Cortes felt up to the task.

“The guy had a flexor strain and pushed the envelope to get back,” Verdugo said. “He’s a big-time pitcher for us. Freddie got him, he made a great swing. These are great hitters, great players. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap, the other guys get you. But I’ve got my money on Nestor every time.”

As right-hander Jake Cousins faced the bottom third of the Dodgers’ lineup in the 10th, Boone had Cortes and left-hander Tim Hill warming side-by-side, bypassing left-hander Tim Mayza. Cortes said he’d been “ready since the fourth inning” and that his warmup “felt better than expected,” which he attributed to adrenaline.

There were two men on and one out as Boone opted for Cortes; previous history played a role, as Ohtani had been 2-for-12 lifetime against Cortes and 1-for-4 against Hill.

“I just liked the matchup,” Boone said. “The reality is, [Cortes] has 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 I felt convicted with Nestor in that spot.”

Boone said he had Hill warming in the event of a two-out situation and to make sure Cortes had time to warm up properly. Cortes has acknowledged the risks involved with accelerating his recovery from the injury, saying that it is worth it for a chance at a ring.

“You never know when you’re going to be in this situation, this spot with this opportunity,” Cortes said.

The pitch to Ohtani, Cortes said, had not been perfect – but it was “good enough to get him,” jamming the National League’s presumptive MVP. After Verdugo’s grab moved runners to second and third bases, the Yankees intentionally walked Betts, bringing up Freeman with the bags full.

“Once I saw Aaron give the 4, I just started going through my plan and my process, what I was going to look for and where I was going to look for it,” Freeman said. “[Cortes throws] a lot of heaters that kind of ride. So I just wanted to be on top of it and be on time for it.”

Their showdown would last just one pitch — Cortes nicked the inside corner with a 92.5 mph fastball and Freeman hammered it over the right-field wall, a drive that launched a thousand callbacks to Kirk Gibson’s game-winning blast in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

Standing at his locker to field questions for more than 10 minutes in the wake of the defeat, Cortes said he believes the Yankees can and will recover. The same is true for himself.

“If I wasn’t ready enough and I wasn’t healthy enough, I would not have done it. And they wouldn’t have allowed me,” Cortes said. “So I think we’re in a good spot. I’ll get another opportunity. We’ve got to win four games in this Series. It was right there on our fingertips, but we’re going to come back tomorrow strong.”