Entering Game of the 2024 World Series, the New York Yankees were a happy bunch buzzing with excitement. They came out all guns blazing and had control of the game for the most half. However, manager Aaron Boone’s bullpen choices left the fans and analysts perplexed.
Ace starter Gerrit Cole performed brilliantly to pitch six straight innings and allowed just 1 run on four hits. However, for the closing option, Aaron Boone snubbed Jake Cousins to go for Nestor Cortes instead, who was coming off a long four-week injury layoff. And that decision cost the Yankees Game 1 of the World Series.
Aaron Boone On Receiving End After Cortes Blows Up Save
The Yankees’ Game 1 loss to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series turned into a hotbed of criticism for manager Aaron Boone, whose bullpen decisions are facing heavy scrutiny from the likes of YES Network’s Michael Kay, Jack Curry, and John Flaherty. The most contentious decision came at the bottom of the 10th inning when Boone opted to replace right-hander Jake Cousins with Nestor Cortes, who had not pitched since September 18, to face the top of the Dodgers’ order. The move backfired, as Cortes served up a first-pitch fastball that Freddie Freeman blasted for a walk-off grand slam, sealing the Yankees’ 6-3 loss. Notably, Cortes, who induced a flyout from Shohei Ohtani thanks to an extraordinary catch by Alex Verdugo, was then tasked with handling Mookie Betts and Freeman with two outs.
But Freeman was hunting a first-pitch fastball, which he crushed to deliver the walk-off win. Meanwhile, Kay, Curry, and Flaherty all questioned Boone’s logic, suggesting he should have gone with lefty Tim Hill, who has been lights-out in recent outings. Curry stressed that this critique wasn’t just hindsight; he and his broadcast team disagreed with the call immediately. Kay argued that Cortes’s favorable numbers against Ohtani were irrelevant due to Cortes’s month-long hiatus and prior role as a starter, where his rhythm differed significantly from that of a reliever. On the other hand, the second key criticism involved Boone’s early pull of ace Gerrit Cole, who was dominant through six innings. Cole, who had thrown 88 pitches, was removed after allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. “When you get a start like you did out of Gerrit Cole, you got to win that game,” Kay said.
Yankees Skipper Defends Bullpen Choices After Criticism
Following the New York Yankees’ heartbreaking 6-3 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, manager Aaron Boone defended his decision to bring Nestor Cortes into the high-stakes bottom of the 10th inning. When asked about his decision, Boone explained he felt the matchup favored Cortes.
“Just liked the matchup. Reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he’s gotten ready for this,” he said. Boone also acknowledged that facing Shohei Ohtani with only one out on the board was tricky, with the possibility of getting a double play remote. However, the move backfired in the worst way possible for the Yankees.
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