LOS ANGELES – While Freddie Freeman turned Dodger Stadium into a celebration zone on Friday night, Nestor Cortes faced an uncomfortable reality, walking towards a situation often perceived as challenging for those who find themselves on the losing side.

Take a walk-off homer, like Freeman’s grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series: You can’t avoid the sorrowful stroll from a moment of triumph for others, arriving at your own disappointment.

After Freeman launched Cortes’s very first pitch of the 10^th inning a staggering 409 feet into right field, reversing a narrow Yankees lead into a 6-3 setback, Cortes’s feelings shifted from frustration to determination.

He quickly sat down to review a replay of the ill-fated pitch—a misplaced fastball that, by a couple of inches, could have been successful.

Cortes chose to step back and gain perspective, opting not to dwell on the fact that his name would be forever linked with the likes of Ralph Branca and Dennis Eckersley—great pitchers who faced their downfalls at critical moments.

For Cortes, failure doesn’t equal devastation.

Devastation was being sidelined while the Yankees advanced to their first World Series since 2009, nursing an elbow injury and hoping to be ready in time to contribute.

Even when everything went wrong during his first game back in 37 days, the 29-year-old lefty quickly swerved away from self-pity.

“As I walked in here, I didn’t feel pity for myself. I felt like I let the team down,” Cortes reflected, recalling his second relief outing since 2021. “The guys worked hard for those three runs. The bullpen stepped up. Gerrit Cole pitched a fantastic game.”

“It’s just disappointing that I couldn’t deliver for them. Everyone is focused on, ‘Ohtani, Ohtani, Ohtani.’ We managed to handle him, but Freeman is also a formidable hitter.”

“I simply couldn’t get it done today.”

Ohtani, the Dodgers’ star player who combined 50 homers with 50 steals, was on everyone’s mind as Cole worked an impressive four-hit game into the seventh inning, with the Yankees’ bullpen fully aware of Ohtani’s imminent presence.

Cortes revealed he was mentally and physically ready since the fourth inning, preparing himself. As Game 1 drew closer to the end, the tension rose when the Dodgers managed to equalize in the eighth inning thanks to an Ohtani double, a Gleyber Torres mistake, and a sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts.

The Yankees’ key relief pitchers were all right-handed and had been utilized by the ninth inning, leaving Luke Weaver finishing his outing.

Jake Cousins came in to attempt to seal the save: a straightforward inning against the Dodgers’ less intimidating hitters. If successful, the Yankees would hold a 1-0 Series lead by the end of the night.

However, life isn’t like a script. After Cousins allowed a walk to Gavin Lux and Tommy Edman hit a single, which snuck past Oswaldo Cabrera at second base, Ohtani was once again unavoidable.

In the bullpen, Cortes was warming up alongside Tim Cousins, known for being a clutch late-inning lefty reliever, who had excelled by retiring 17 of 22 opponents while yielding just one run this postseason.

As manager Boone approached the mound, he signaled for Cortes. An overhand gesture requested Cortes, while an underhand signaled for Hill.

Boone made the call, and Cortes entered what appeared to be an insurmountable situation.

This season, he had only pitched out of the bullpen once before, which had left a negative impression from a late September game. Following that, elbow problems had sidelined him completely, with his last game thrown on September 18 at Seattle.

The Yankees triumphed in the AL East, defeating Kansas City and Cleveland, winning seven of their first nine postseason games. But Cortes felt utterly powerless during it all.

“Being in the dugout is hard to handle,” he expressed. “It’s way more nerve-wracking knowing you can’t contribute to the team’s efforts. Watching them battle through the (Division Series) and (ALCS), witnessing their hard work and commitment, I wanted to be part of it too.”

Cortes made a case to join the ALDS and ALCS rosters but was denied. Ultimately, after demonstrating he was fit to play in the World Series through simulated outings post-ALCS, he convinced the Yankees of his readiness.

Fit enough. Not completely fit.

There were certainly issues with Cortes’s elbow, similar to numerous pitchers across baseball. However, his condition was increasingly concerning.

“If I get a ring, then take a year off from baseball,” he stated, “that’s fine by me.”The Yankees were excited to have him on board. Even though the data is limited, he had managed to limit Ohtani to just two singles in 12 previous at-bats against him.When Boone signaled for him to enter the game with the Yankees ahead 3-2, Cortes came through by retiring Ohtani with just one pitch—a gentle fly ball that drifted into foul territory in left field, where Alex Verdugo made a spectacular catch, tumbling over a short wall into the spectator area.

“The truth is he’s been pitching exceptionally well in recent weeks as he prepared for this,” Boone explained his choice of Cortes over Hill. “I knew with one out, trying to get a double play with Tim Hill against Shohei could be challenging, especially with Mookie behind him being a tough matchup. So, I felt confident putting Nestor in that situation.”Was that the end of the problem?Not at all. Boone decided to load the bases by intentionally walking Betts, which placed the winning run in scoring position but retained a left-on-left matchup with Freeman.The players gathered on the mound to strategize about Freeman. Ohtani had swung at the first pitch earlier in the game, and Will Smith had ended a rally by doing the same. The Dodgers are known for their patience, and they appeared eager to capitalize early in the count.Thus, Freeman also swung at the first pitch. It was a bit faster than Cortes anticipated—clocked at 92.5 mph—but a couple of inches lower than he’d hoped for, resulting in a much longer flight than he expected.

It was a shocking return, an instant rush of adrenaline, but a disheartening debut in the World Series.“The adrenaline rush was incredible,” Cortes shared. “I was throwing at 88, 89 mph in my practices, and I reached 92, 93 mph during the game. I have more in me. I know I’ll get another chance, and I’ll seize the moment when it comes.”The Yankees are counting on his commitment. Cole is their dependable pitcher, but with the strategic Dodgers lineup, there’s no assurance that other starters like Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil will last as long as Cole did in Game 1.Cortes will be called to action again.“Nestor is coming back from an injury. He stepped up and gave it his all,” Cole remarked.“That’s all we expect from him.”Cortes was eager to return to the field, irrespective of the risks. And despite experiencing World Series disappointment—the kind that is etched in history—it won’t dampen his enthusiasm.

“There’s always external opinions on your career,” he reflected. “But no one truly knows the struggle of going through 162 games and the effort it takes to be in this situation, knowing the team fought hard to reach this moment.“As I mentioned earlier, this is the dream come true. Growing up playing baseball, watching it, and dying to be part of October. And now, we are here.”