Yanks' Cortes -- 'Couldn't get the job done' in World Series Game 1 - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — 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.

Boon