LOS ANGELES – Gleyber Torres looked into his glove. This was nothing but a huge missed opportunity.

Friday night World Series Game 1 It was an instant classic, a heavyweight fight for the ages that ended with a knockout blow. Fittingly, Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam what will live in the minds and make the reels stand out There are baseball fans everywhere.

But that historic hit that won the Dodgers 6-3 winit was made possible only by a key misplay by the Yankees two innings earlier.

With the Yankees taking a one-run lead with one out in the eighth inning, presumptive National League MVP Shohei Ohtani hit a wet changeup off the wall. As Ohtani made the first move for a double, Yankees right fielder Juan Soto grabbed the pill and threw it to safety in the infield grass.

Or so he thought.

The throw jumped out of the Dodger Stadium dirt about six feet in front of Torres. However, instead of holding the ball with his body like a hockey goalie, the second goalie tried to swing it and make a pick with the back of his hand. This scoop was a play that Torres had completed countless times, but it was an incredibly poor choice given the situation. The precious white blur slid off the top pinky finger of Torres’ black and tan Rawlings glove and rolled toward the mound. Seeing an opening, Ohtani moved up to third.

As they often do in the October cauldron, this made a difference of 90 feet. Ohtani hit a sac fly off the next batter, Mookie Betts, to tie the score 2-2. If Torres cleanly catches Soto’s throw and prevents Ohtani from advancing, the Dodgers are almost certain to leave the eighth inning with no runs scored.

Instead, the game took on a whole new dimension and progressed towards a chaotic, unforgettable ending. Torres’ big mistake opened the window.

“If I had another opportunity, I would have tried to block the ball,” Mahzun Torres told reporters after the game. “Keep it up front and keep it a little simpler.”

Unfortunately for the 27-year-old second baseman, the gaffe was not out of character. During his seven years in the pinstripes, Torres was prone to distractions on the field. In early August, he was benched by Yankees manager Aaron Boone midway through the game after the ball that Torres called a home run failed to clear the wall. Torres also became the worst second base defender in baseball history in 2024. His glove never inspired confidence.

Nevertheless, Boone defended Torres repeatedly; This approach bore serious fruit by October. The second baseman has the team’s highest batting average and third-highest on-base percentage since coming off the bench on Aug. 2, behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. The return of Torres in the leadoff gave Judge and Soto more opportunities with runners, making New York’s lineup more formidable.

However, the secondary aspects of Torres’ game fell short. This was obvious in Game 1 on Friday.

“When there’s no play left, you can actually step back and give room and take a long jump, but he still took a short jump. “You just have to secure it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after his club’s shattering defeat.

You can chalk up the other parts of this very important game until the sun comes up. Was Soto supposed to throw to Anthony Volpe, the guy who cut him? Why was pitcher Tommy Kahnle supporting third base? Where was first baseman Anthony Rizzo? But Boone’s final point captures the essence of the game: It doesn’t matter how. “You just have to secure it there.”

“(The play in question) was big,” Torres said later. “You know, every little thing counts, especially in these games.”

Those razor-thin margins occurred just after Torres’ bobble put the Dodgers back in the contest. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Torres grounded one out deep to left field into the outstretched glove of an overzealous fan. The parasite was implemented correctlyand Torres was awarded a double prize, even though he technically went over the wall.

On another night, Torres tastes redemption. Move it a few more inches and he turns into a scapegoated hero. Instead, what everyone will remember was the ball flying out of his glove and into the air. His role in the gripping story is sad, inevitable.

The entire sequence was indicative of how the Yankees have overcome their own flaws so far this postseason. For a team just four wins away from victory, the Bombers don’t do the little things well. They are by far the worst baserunning team in MLB. The defensive mistakes and inadequacies of Torres and Soto left their mark on their successful seasons. Fundamentals become less important when giant men toss baseballs and disappear into the night.

But while that style worked well enough against the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, these Dodgers are a whole other beast. The Yankees could still return to this series without playing live baseball, but an error-free Game 2 would certainly help.