Yankees
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees blew up a costly game on Monday against the Seattle Mariners after Clay Holmes’ rare horror show propelled the latter to 5-4 win. Marcus Stroman set up the game right with a 7.1 innings start, allowing just one run before Holmes completely blew it up with a 4 runs ninth inning.

To further make matters worse, the New York Yankees dropped the second game in a row on Tuesday to go 2-0 in a four-game series against the Mariners. And this time, the blame fell on manager Aaron Boone’s shoulders as he fumbled up his bullpen decisions which cost Yanks valuable runs towards the end.

   

Aaron Boone’s Tactical Bullpen Error Cost Yankees 6-3 Loss Vs Mariners

Yankees, Clay Holmes
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

In a recent game, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone faced criticism and self-reflection after a pivotal decision led to a costly defeat. The game in question saw the Yanks battling against a formidable opponent, the Seattle Mariners. The scenario unfolded in the late innings, with the Bombers clinging to a slim one-run lead. The starting pitcher, Clarke Schmidt, having shown signs of fatigue but still maintaining control, was removed by Boone in favor of a reliever, Clayton Andrews. This decision, intended to preserve the lead by bringing in a fresh arm, had the opposite effect. Andrews ended up getting hit for a home run in his first major league pitch ever. 

Clayton Andrews was called up as a replacement for Ian Hamilton, who was placed on the COVID-19 injury list earlier this week. He had a 6.60 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A before receiving the major league call-up. And Aaron Boone admitted that he should have introduced Caleb Ferguson instead of Andrews. “The case there is to bring Fergie in there, which, in hindsight, I probably should have done,” said Boone after the 6-3 loss to the Mariners. Caleb was instead introduced to save in the ninth innings, which he did perfectly. However, the damage was already done. This loss was particularly stinging given the Yankees’ current sublime form. They were coming off a series sweep against the Chicago White Sox and now have dropped two games on the trot, which might affect their position on the highly competitive AL-East table. 

Clarke Schmidt Credits Mariners For Clever Gameplan

Clarke Schmidt
New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt throws against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP

New York Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt had a relatively decent outing on Tuesday as he allowed 2 runs and 4 walks in four hits across five innings. However, as the Yanks dropped the game, Schmidt acknowledged the Mariners’ clever gameplan of making his work extra mile. He said the Mariners’ hitters deliberately fouled pitches and went drove deep counts to increase his pitch count.

“I didn’t even know how many pitches I had until I looked up at the end of the third, and I was like, Oh my gosh, it’s close to 70 pitches,” said Clarke Schmidt after the game. Indeed, the Mariners played smart in this series, as they attacked Clay Holmes in the series opener and now Schmidt in the following game. However, the series is still open for the Yankees to save their face.

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