Reports: Aaron Boone ruins Gerrit Cole’s sterling Yankees outing with senseless bullpen move
The New York Yankees were in a prime position to sweep their doubleheader against the Texas Rangers after winning the first game 8-0. With Gerrit Cole pitching brilliantly in the second game, it seemed like a sure thing. However, Aaron Boone made a surprising decision to pull Cole after he retired the first batter of the sixth inning on just two pitches, despite Cole having only thrown 90 pitches and clearly having more left in him.
The move raised eyebrows among fans, especially since Cole was dominating the game. When Boone replaced him with Luke Weaver, things quickly unraveled. Weaver’s performance was disastrous: he allowed a single, single, single, walk, sacrifice fly, and a home run, leading to a sudden 6-1 deficit for the Yankees.
The decision to remove Cole and the subsequent meltdown by Weaver drew heavy criticism from the crowd at Yankee Stadium. Boone’s decision to then replace Weaver with Michael Tonkin did little to stem the tide, and the game spiraled out of control rapidly. A controversial play involving Jazz Chisholm and Juan Soto added to the frustration, as a close call at third base could have changed the inning’s outcome.
Chaotic play as Soto almost makes an great catch but the ball pops out, and then the Yankees should have had Lowe at third on the force but Jazz went for the tag play instead of just standing on the base pic.twitter.com/o1GNf5XR5H
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 10, 2024
Aaron Boone ruins Gerrit Cole’s sterling Yankees outing with senseless bullpen move
There’s no guarantee that Luke Weaver would have escaped the situation unscathed, even if he had managed to get that out. His performance had been subpar, with flat pitches that were easily hittable by the Rangers’ potent lineup.
Relievers can have off days, and Weaver, despite being generally effective this season, is no exception. The focus here should be on Boone’s decision-making, particularly the choice to pull Gerrit Cole, who was having an excellent game with a season-high 10 strikeouts through five innings. Though Cole was showing signs of fatigue, he had mostly kept the Rangers in check, even overcoming a rough patch in the fourth inning by striking out the next three batters.
If Boone had always planned to remove Cole, it would have made more sense to do so after the fifth inning, rather than sending him out for the sixth only to pull him after just two pitches. This move seemed illogical, especially given Weaver’s typical usage in later innings and the context of the game.
Boone’s bullpen management has often been a point of contention among fans, and this decision only added fuel to that fire. Questions arise about whether Boone was overly focused on matchups, whether Cole’s pitch count truly necessitated his removal, and why Weaver was the choice for a situation that was not high leverage.
As the game progresses to an 8-1 deficit, all eyes will be on the rubber match scheduled for Sunday afternoon, and there will be anticipation for updates on Trent Grisham, who was hit by a pitch on his hand.