Boone’s Odd Call Leads to Freeman Walkoff Slam. LA 6 NY 3 in 10 innings

October 26, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0

The Yanks were an out away from a game 1 win in the World Series, leading 3-2 with runners on 1st and 3rd, and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th and Shohei Ohtani due up when manager Aaron Boone went to the bullpen for the lefty — not Tim Hill who has been lights out — but Nestor Cortes who hadn’t pitched in a month.

Cortes got Ohtani to hit a foul ball to left that Alex Verdugo made a SPECTACULAR catch on — flipping over the wall into the seats and holding onto the ball, then throwing it back in to not allow the runner on 3rd to advance.

The Yanks were an out away.

NY intentionally walked righty Mookie Betts to load the bases, and have lefty Cortes face lefty Freddie Freeman — but that left Cortes no room for error. He threw a first-pitch fastball and Freeman hit a bomb of a walk-off grand slam. Dodgers 6 NY 3 on a Friday night in LA.

“I don’t know if you ever love a matchup against Ohtani, but I felt that Nestor could give us a shot at it,” said Boone afterwards. “The reality is he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he’s gotten ready for this. I knew that with 1 out there it would be tough to double up Shohei if Tim Hill gets him on the ground, and then Mook behind him is a tough matchup there so I felt convicted with Nestor in that spot.”

“It’s a tough one,” said Cortes afterwards. “I got Ohtani out on a fastball that I commanded real well, I tried to do the same to Freeman, and left it in the zone. I just wanted to pick it up for the boys. The bullpen battled; we scratched some runs across. I tried to seal the deal for them and I couldn’t.”

1. Cole Amazing

Gerrit Cole took the mound for the Yanks and got HARD OUTS off fastballs to start the game — a shot by Shohei Ohtani to center for an out, a shot by Mookie Betts to Verdugo in left for an out, a triple by Freddie Freeman to left, and a line out by Teoscar Hernandez to shortstop. PHEW what a 1st inning!

By the 2nd, Cole started smoking — an easy 1-2-3 inning striking out 2, and continuing with a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd (striking out Ohtani) and 4th — retiring 11 in a row.

But with 1 out in the 5th, Enrique Hernandez ripped a shot down the line in right that Soto sprinted after but couldn’t get — his momentum sending him to the wall allowing Hernandez to sprint to 3rd for a triple. Catcher Will Smith hit a sac fly and it was 1-0 Dodgers.

Chisholm’s Tremendous Play Saves Cole in 6th

Given a 2-1 lead by a Giancarlo Stanton 2-run BOMB in the top of the 6th — Cole carried that lead to the 7th. He allowed a leadoff double to Tommy Edman in the bottom of the 6th, but got Ohtani to ground out (moving the runner to 3rd), got Mookie Betts to hit a SHOT to 3rd that Jazz Chisholm made a Tremendous play on, and got Freeman to fly out to strand the runner on 3rd.

“I thought Gerrit was really good,” said Boone. “I thought he did a good job of establishing his fastball, and then started to mix as the game unfolded a little bit. I thought he got taxed a little bit there the last 20 or 30 pitches, and kind of grinded a little bit. But I thought he did a good job of mixing in his curveball, the cutter was a factor for him tonite; we even saw the changeup a little; he threw a couple of good sliders later in the game. But it started with him establishing his fastball early, and was really efficient.”

2. Giancarlo Gets to Flaherty with 2-Run MOON SHOT

The Yanks were up against Jack Flaherty, whom many Yankee fans were IMPLORING the Yanks to trade for at the trade deadline. The Dodgers gave up 2 high prospects (Thayron Liranzo and old friend Trey Sweeney) for a 2-month rental of Flaherty; he went 6-2 3.58 for LA down the stretch.

And here Flaherty was, pitching against the Yanks in the World Series. And he was lights out.

Until the 6th, when Juan Soto led off with a single, and after Aaron Judge struck out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a 1-2 knuckle curve for a MOON SHOT to left for a 2-1 Yankee lead.

Another look:

The Yanks almost got more runs in the 6th — after the Giancarlo homer, Flaherty was relieved for Anthony Banda.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.singled to right and stole 2nd. Anthony Rizzo struck out for the 2nd out in the inning, but Anthony Volpe was intentionally walked and Austin Wells hit an infield single up the middle that Tommy Edman made a tremendous play on to keep it from going into the outfield, saving a run. With 2 outs and bases loaded, Banda struck out Verdugo.

3. Holmes Rollercoaster Ride

Cole allowed a leadoff single to Teoscar Hernandez in the 7th and was relieved by the Clay Holmes Rollercoaster Ride.

Holmes immediately hit Max Muncy with a pitch. Enrique Hernandez laid down a perfect bunt, moving the runners to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.

But Holmes got Will Smith to pop up one of his TOUGH sliders for the 2nd out. PHEW.

Tommy Kahnle came in and got a groundout to Gleyber Torres at 2nd to end the inning.

4. Gleyber Goof Leads to Tying Run in 8th

And just when you were thinking that Gleyber Torres has been playing a steady, error-free 2nd base throughout the playoffs — he goofed up in the 8th that led to the game being tied.

With 1 out, Ohtani doubled to right — the throw from Soto came into 2nd and bounced off Gleyber’s glove — then he couldn’t immediately find the ball behind him and Ohtani raced to 3rd. Luke Weaver relieved Kahnle with 1 out; but Mookie Betts hit a sac fly and it was a tie game 2-2.

5. Gleyber Just Misses HR in 9th; Fan Catches ‘Double’

But Gleyber Taketh and Gleyber Giveth — in the top of the 9th, he hit a 2-out shot into the seats in left off Michael Kopech that put NY up 3-2 — until the umpire called it a catch by a fan with his glove on the playing side of the wall. Review held up the on-field call and Gleyber was at 2nd.

The Yanks brought in Jasson Dominguez to run for Gleyber; the Dodgers intentionally walked Juan Soto, and their Ace reliever Blake Treinen came in and got Aaron Judge to pop out to end the inning.

6. Verdugo Great Diving Catch Helps Weaver in 9th

After getting the last 2 outs of the 8th, Luke Weaver pitched a pressure-packed, shutout 9th in the 2-2 game — helped by Alex Verdugo who made a tremendous diving catch in left on an Enrique Hernandez fly to end the inning.

7. Chisholm Single & SPEED Puts Yanks UP in 10th

Jazz Chisholm Jr.got to LA Ace Blake Treinen in the top of the 10th with a 1-out single to left. He stole 2nd, then stole 3rd after LA intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo.

Anthony Volpe came up in a big spot with 1 out, runners on 1st and 3rd — and after falling behind 1-2 against the tough Treinen, took a ball, then hit a sharp grounder up the middle for a groundout to score the run. NY 3 LA 2.

8. Boone Sends in Cortes Over Hill?

And then to the bottom of the 10th — Jake Cousins on the hill for NY. He got a fly out for the 1st out, but then walked Gavin Lux. Edmund hit a grounder in the hole near 2nd and Oswaldo Cabrera — in for Gleyber who had been pinch run for — couldn’t make the diving play on it.

With 1st and 2nd, 1 out, and Ohtani due up — Boone went to the bullpen for a lefty. Everyone expected it to be Tim Hill, who has been tremendous for the Yanks and gets double plays. Instead — it was Nestor Cortes who hasn’t pitched in a month.

Verdugo SPECTACULAR Catch Saves Day Temporarily

Cortes almost got the job done — a foul fly to left by Ohtani that Alex Verdugo made a SPECTACULAR catch on — his momentum causing him to tumble into the seats — the runners moving up to 2nd and 3rd.

And then the Yanks intentionally walked Mookie Betts, and with bases loaded and no room for error, Nestor threw a first-pitch, 92-MPH fastball to Freedie Freeman — who hit a bomb to right for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401701038

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*