On Monday night, manager Aaron Boone drew criticism from New York Yankees fans for removing Luke Weaver from the game after only six pitches in favour of Clay Holmes, who had pitched two of the previous three days and didn’t need to face a Seattle Mariners offence that was all but dead.
However, Holmes was dinked and dunked (with some walks in between) and eventually gave up four runs, resulting in the Yankees’ 5-4 loss. Brutal. Didn’t have to happen. It appears Captain Hindsight-like, but Weaver’s entire value is that he can be extended to split-inning service. Why not use it there, saving Holmes for another day?
The Yankees then went hitless for six and a half innings on Tuesday night. They trailed the Mariners 4-0. Clarke Schmidt was removed from the game after five innings and 100 pitches. Would you look at that? This is an excellent example of why you should not burn through your arms when you don’t have to.
In a 2-0 game, Boone turned to Victor Gonzalez, who pitched a scoreless inning. Then he called in Dennis Santana, who gave up two earned runs. That seemed like it was it. However, the Yankees showed signs of life in the bottom of the seventh.
Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer with two outs to make it a one-run game. The stadium was back on its feet. “Let’s Go Yankees” cheers could be heard throughout the broadcast. All it needed was a few baserunners and a single swing of the bat.
Another ludicrous Aaron Boone bullpen error damages Yankees in back-to-back M’s losses.
How did Boone respond? He asked Clayton Andrews to handle the top of the ninth. Who is Clayton Andrews? Yes, we were too before Monday’s bombshell.
Andrews was called up after Ian Hamilton was added on the COVID-19 list. He had already been designated for assignment this season, but he cleared waivers and was moved to Triple-A Scranton, where he had a 6.60 ERA and 7.2 BB/9. His Yankees debut in 2024 came in a one-run game in the ninth inning, following the season’s worst loss.
Andrews’ very first pitch resulted in a single home run over the short porch. Just like that, the fire was sucked out of Yankee Stadium, and the Mariners’ two-run lead appeared insurmountable, given how much work the Yankees had to do to even muster three runs of their own.
Andrews was removed from the game after giving up another hit. And that’s when Boone summoned Nick Burdi, the flamethrowing reliever who was practically made for an eighth-inning cameo in a one-run game. Instead, he was coming on in a two-run game with a runner on base, making his presence all the more pointless. Burdi, who is incapable of splitting innings due to his profile/injury history, was called upon to do so following the Andrews gaffe. What was the result? He let up a home run to the first batter in the ninth inning, making the score 6-3. Good night.
We’ll say it again: Boone isn’t going to handle the bullpen flawlessly, especially with so little to work with. That said, he obviously needs to manage it more carefully, and back-to-back nights of glaring failures have brought back memories of earlier decisions that have plagued the Yankees in high-pressure situations.
And, while it may seem nitpicky to bring up the Weaver gaffe again, this is exactly how bullpen issues accumulate. One blunder, and you’re one Clayton Andrews away from a dramatic, momentum-shifting win.
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