Wild Aaron Boone bullpen risk backfires spectacularly in Yankees' gutting Game 1 loss

The New York Yankees got one out away from an incredible, full-body-clenching victory in Game 1 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. But, unlike in Game 3 in Cleveland last series, they never got one strike away from a win. Freddie Freeman didn't let them.

After retiring the first batter of the bottom of the 10th inning with a stolen one-run lead thanks to Jazz Chisholm, last-ditch reliever Jake Cousins walked Gavin Lux and allowed a two-strike single to Tommy Edman.

That brought Shohei Ohtani to the plate, and Boone knew he had to go to a lefty. There were no perfect options. Tim Hill threw in all five games of the ALCS, and threw well. Nestor Cortes? He hasn't pitched since Sept. 18, and is gutting through a flexor strain.

Tragically, on just two pitches, he felt both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. First, he induced a Shohei Ohtani popup down the left field line. Alex Verdugo sprinted down the grass, lunged, caught the ball, and fell into the stands. One out. And a massive one. They don't get bigger than Ohtani.

Boone then opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts and face Freeman lefty-lefty. Cortes hoped he could ambush him with a second consecutive fastball. Freeman, on one leg, could not be ambushed.

Freddie Freeman hunts Nestor Cortes first-pitch fastball as Yankees lose Game 1 World Series heartbreaker

The Dodgers are now up 1-0 in the series on a Kirk Gibson-esque home run from one of LA's many All-Stars. If the Yankees were going to make a statement, they needed to steal a road game. They had this particular road game stolen.

They had it stolen all the way up to the edge of the finish line, following the Verdugo play on Ohtani. And, much like the Josh Naylor double play ball in ALCS Game 3 that left the Yankees one out away, no one will ever remember how much gumption it took to reach that point. The game disappeared instantaneously, and Boone will be rightly questioned for relying on a pitcher who no one thought would even be ready for this series.