Boone liked matchup for Cortes before fateful HR

In the World Series Game 1, Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes faced off against Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in a critical moment. Despite retiring Ohtani with one pitch, Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to secure a 6-3 win for the Dodgers. Manager Aaron Boone chose Cortes over Tim Hill for the matchup, citing Cortes’ recent strong performance. Cortes, who had been out with a flexor strain, took a risk by pushing himself to return for the postseason. Despite feeling better than expected, Cortes couldn’t deliver the win, expressing disappointment in his performance.