Nestor Cortes is known for having a lot of guts. Even before he said he’s willing to risk next season for a ring, everyone knew Cortes had guts going for him.
But sometimes guts aren’t enough.
Though it wasn’t quite shocking Aaron Boone showed amazing faith in the gutsy, beloved Cortes, choosing him to pitch to Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman with the game on the line in the 10th inning, it was a gamble not worth taking.
Tim Hill was ready, and that should have been his spot. Hill has dominated this October, allowing just one run in 5 ²/₃ innings.
“You can’t throw someone in there who A) hadn’t pitched in five weeks, and B) is a starting pitcher without a high-velocity fastball,” one scout said of Cortes, who gave up the game-winning grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the Yankees’ 6-3 Game 1 defeat.
“He hasn’t pitched in over a month!” a second scout said incredulously.
It’s not like Boone had Tanner Scott, Josh Hader or an honest-to-goodness shutdown lefty to face two of the toughest left-handed hitters in baseball, if not the two best left-handed hitters. But he did have a lefty who’s been doing that job, and doing it well all year, in Hill.
Nobody in the Yankees clubhouse questioned the call to go with Cortes. Hill said, “Whatever Boonie decides, we all trust him.”
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Boone defended the call.
“Just liked the matchup,” he said. “The reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks he 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 [Betts{ behind him is a tough matchup there. So felt convicted with Nestor in that spot.”
Cortes said he felt ready. “Once I got in, I had all the confidence in the world,” Cortes said.
Cortes oozes confidence, and guts, too. But sometimes that isn’t enough.