The New York Yankees lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, and manager Aaron Boone is flat out taking the blame. Why? Because a poor decision to keep ace Gerrit Cole in the game absolutely backfired. That’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re facing the best.
Six Dominant Innings, One Fateful Seventh
Cole was absolutely lights out, doing exactly what you want your ace to do. He racked up eight strikeouts, allowed just three hits, and gave up zero runs through a dominant six innings against what the league calls the best lineup in the big leagues. Seriously, he was locked in, carving them up. Then came the seventh. Boone left him in to start the inning, and Cole immediately issued a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts. Boone made his way out to the mound, and everyone expected a change, right? Nope. He didn’t make one. He left Cole in to face Max Muncy, and Muncy punished a hanging slider. Just brutal.
Boone Owns It, But The Stakes Are Rising
“That’s on me,” Boone said after the game, taking full responsibility. He felt Cole was still competitive in the Betts at-bat and had enough to get Muncy. But a mistake happened, and Boone even mentioned he had Headrick teed up and ready. Sticking with a former Cy Young Award winner is a gamble sometimes, and this one clearly backfired. Look, losing always stings, but there are some positives here: the Yankees actually hung around with the best team in the league despite being without some of their best players. Plus, the Tampa Bay Rays lost twice on Friday, so the Yankees didn’t even lose any ground in the division race. However, don’t sleep on the Boston Red Sox. They are red hot right now and suddenly a real threat, even if they still trail by eight games. They’re closing that gap in a hurry.
With the Red Sox suddenly breathing down their necks, every single pitch and every decision is going to matter. This team needs to tighten things up and keep an eye on that standings board.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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