Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The New York Yankees suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
The Yankees fell by the final score of 6-3 after a grand slam by Freddie Freeman.
New York couldn’t get on the board early, trailing 1-0 in the first five innings. However, Giancarlo Stanton continued his incredible postseason run with a two-run homer that traveled 412 feet in the top of the sixth.
The Dodgers tied the game thanks to a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, but the Yankees struck once again in the top of the tenth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. showed off his speed after a single, stealing second and third base before scoring on a fielder’s choice to give New York the lead once again.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone initially inserted Jake Cousins for the bottom of the tenth inning, but he was replaced by Néstor Cortés with runners on first and second to accompany an out.
Cortes struggled in his first appearance since Sept. 18, when Shohei Ohtani advanced the runners on a foul ball that was caught out of bounds. Mookie Betts was intentionally walked before Freeman hit the game-ending home run.
Fans were perplexed by Boone’s decision making.
Dieter Gehrig @GehrigDieter
You bring in Nestor, who hasn’t pitched in a month, and Tim Hill, who has been an absolute disaster in the playoffs. Bonehead Boone does it again
Will Manso @WillManso
Aaron Boone turning to a guy who hasn’t pitched in weeks to face the heart of the Dodgers’ order with Game 1 of the World Series on the line will never make sense. Ridiculous. I’m sure the New York media won’t be amused by that.
Brian Rappaport @BRappy55
Tim Hill has been a nail for you all postseason and you go to a guy who hasn’t pitched in weeks. That’s Aaron Boone. #Yankees
4 wild trains @four savages
Aaron Boone decided to pitch to Néstor Cortés, who hasn’t thrown a baseball in a month, instead of Tim Hill, who had been stellar throughout the playoffs.
And people ask why the fans don’t like him.
Lucas Russian @LRusso24
The fact that Aaron Boone chose to have Néstor Cortes, a pitcher who has barely appeared in relief and who also hasn’t pitched in over a month, to face Ohtani, Betts and Freeman is exactly why the Yankees lost that game. Zero excuse for him to pitch there. None. #Yankees
Aaron Judge struggled at the plate, going 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. He also went out with runners on first and second base in the top of the ninth inning.
After the Yankees appeared on the verge of taking a 1-0 series lead on the road, they will now try to avoid falling into a 2-0 series deficit in Game 2 on Saturday at 8:08 p.m. ET .
