Game 1 of the much-awaited World Series is in the LA Dodgers name. And not just the players in pinstripes, but Aaron Boone seems to carry the brunt of the loss. The New York Yankees at the game held a slight edge over the Dodgers just 3-2, heading to the bottom of the tenth. That’s when Boone made a head-scratching decision. With two Dodgers on base, he took out Jake Cousins and brought in Nestor Cortes. Shocking, because the man hasn’t pitched since mid-September! And he was to face the legend Shohei Ohtani. But Cortes managed somehow, thanks to the catch by Alex Verdugo. But next time was not so lucky!

Aaron Boone then went on to walk Mookie Betts and faced Freddie Freeman instead. Now Freeman is a performer; he wasn’t going to let this golden chance go. Hence, he smashed the grand slam, and the Dodgers clinched the win at the end moment. Boone literally plated for Freeman that ‘hero’ tag on Friday. Even analysts are not happy about this!

Michael Kay calls out Aaron Boone after his Game 1 plans crumble

Aaron Boone is no stranger to the World Series. He is a third-generation manager in his family. Additionally, he has previously played for the Yankees, which gives him a unique perspective as a player and now a manager. But yet, Friday was not a great day for him, as his plans backfired big time. YES Networks’ Michael Kay couldn’t hold back his criticism.

Michael Kay mentioned, “I don’t care what the numbers say about Nestor Cortes [against Ohtani]. He hadn’t pitched since September 18. Those numbers against Ohtani were every five days [with Cortes as a starter].” Then, Michael ripped Boone’s decision and said that he should have gone with Tim Hill instead.

Jack Curry also brought up the fact that Freddie Freeman told everyone that he was looking for a first-pitch fastball. And that’s exactly what Nestor gave him! Kay and Curry also questioned the Gerrit Cole move after just 88 pitches. The star had given up one run but was lifted early. Now Boone’s been told by his mentor Joe Torre to go by his instinct, not just stats. And while many times Boone has been right with his risks, this time he was way off.

Aaron Boone details his logic behind choosing Nestor Cortes

Analysts were left scratching their heads at Boone’s decision to call on left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr.—in such a high-stakes moment. One would expect solid reasoning behind Boone’s decision. But he said he just liked the match. “Just liked the matchup. The reality is, he’s been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he’s 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 behind him—that’s a tough matchup,” Boone said. For the Yankee manager, opting to trust Cortes’s lefty abilities is what he thought was best.

Aaron Boone also mentioned that Cortes’s previous game with Ohtani, who was 2 for 12, played a role in the decision-making process. But while this aim went wrong for the Yankee manager, he has also had good moments with his risky takes. For example, when he trusts Luke Weaver to take the place instead of Clay Holmes. Many thought it was foolish, but it worked. Also, he trusted Rizzo to play with his broken finger—even that was a fine decision.

Ultimately, not every decision can work. Maybe it was just a bad day for the New York Yankees. But at this point, every move should be taken with more thought, and fans will be looking closer to the manager for sure. What do you think of Boone’s decision? Let us know!