In a tightly contested 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone shouldered responsibility for a pivotal decision that proved costly.
With his team clinging to a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning, Gerrit Cole issued a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts. Boone visited the mound with left-hander Brent Headrick warming in the bullpen, but ultimately left his ace in to face Max Muncy after Cole assured the manager he had one more out in him.
Cole, who had dominated through six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts on 90 pitches in his 10th start since returning from Tommy John surgery, jumped ahead 0-2. However, he hung a slider that Muncy crushed for a go-ahead two-run homer. Boone later admitted the choice fell squarely on him.
“I probably should’ve grabbed him there,” Boone said, via The Athletic. “Sometimes you’ve got to take it out of their hands. … That falls on me.”
Cole expressed disappointment with the pitch location but noted the competitive opportunity against a strong lineup. The Yankees had chances to tie the game later, including a strong double from Ben Rice, but a baserunning play at the plate ended their threat.
The loss prevented New York from gaining more ground in the AL East.
