Aaron Boone defends using Cortes in World Series opener, regrets not sticking with Weaver longer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Boone has one regret about his pitching decisions during Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

It’s not the one Yankees fans would think.

With a night to ponder what went wrong in the 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 innings, the Yankees manager said before Game 2 on Saturday that he still would have put Nestor Cortes into a high-leverage situation with one out in the 10th inning despite not pitching since Sept. 18. Cortes gave up a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in his first appearance in over a month.

What Boone would have done differently, though, is he would have had Luke Weaver go longer.

“I have no problem with Nestor. Even after the fact, I feel like that was the right move with one out,” Boone said. “The biggest thing is, do I send (Weaver) back out there for the third up? That’s the one that I quibble.”

Weaver, the Yankees’ best relief pitcher during the postseason, retired all five hitters he faced in 1 2/3 innings. The right-hander came in with one out in the eighth and Shohei Ohtani on third. A sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts brought in Ohtani to tie it at 2.

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Jake Cousins replaced Weaver in the 10th. Cousins got Will Smith to fly out but walked Gavin Lux and gave up an infield single to Tommy Edman. That’s when Boone went to Cortes.

Weaver threw 19 pitches. Had he faced a couple more batters, he likely would not have been available until the Series went to New York for Game 3 on Monday.

“He’s pitch efficient, but obviously asking him to get eight outs, that’s a little bit of a different animal than even he’s gone through this postseason,” Boone said.

Had there been two outs when Cousins got into trouble, Boone said he would have gone with Tim Hill. But Boone sided with Cortes with one out because Hill pitches to contact and tends to give up hits.

Boone also noted that Ohtani’s success facing sliders, Hill’s go-to pitch, also factored into going with Cortes. Cortes retired Ohtani and intentionally walked Betts before Freeman’s slam.

Boone also faced criticism over lifting starter Gerrit Cole after 88 pitches. Cole allowed only one run on four hits and struck out four in six-plus innings.

Yankees great Derek Jeter, who is working his second World Series for Fox, eviscerated his former teammate’s decision.

Jeter said on Fox’s postgame show Friday night: “He was dominating the game. And if you take him out after 88 pitches for I don’t know what reason, it’s a domino effect on not only this game, but tomorrow’s game and the rest of the series. I just think when you have someone who’s dealing like Gerrit Cole was dealing tonight, you leave him out there as long as you can.”

Boone said the long sequence of at bats during the last six batters Cole faced was why Boone pulled him.

“You just have to take my word for it,” said Boone on why he thought Cole was done.

Boone said he still has confidence in Cortes for the rest of the series.

“He’s good. We connected last night. He wants the ball again,” Boone said.

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