The New York Yankees had a clear path to sweep their doubleheader against the Texas Rangers on Saturday. After a dominant 8-0 victory in the first game, they had ace Gerrit Cole ready to continue his strong performance in the second game.
However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made an unexpected move. Cole, who had thrown only 90 pitches and seemed to have more in the tank, was pulled after getting the first out of the sixth inning. Luke Weaver took over, raising questions from fans and analysts alike, especially since Cole was pitching exceptionally well.
Had Boone’s decision proved successful, it might not have drawn much criticism. Instead, the decision quickly became a point of contention when Weaver’s performance faltered dramatically. Weaver’s sixth inning saw a series of hits, walks, and a home run, resulting in a sudden 6-1 lead for the Rangers.
The crowd at Yankee Stadium reacted with boos as Boone removed Weaver in favor of Michael Tonkin. The game unraveled swiftly, and Weaver’s struggle might have been mitigated if Jazz Chisholm’s foot had been just slightly better positioned on a close play at third base after a diving catch attempt by Juan Soto.
The call on the field was out but it was overturned after review
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 10, 2024
Aaron Boone ruins Gerrit Cole’s sterling Yankees outing with senseless bullpen move
It’s uncertain whether Weaver would have managed to get out of the inning even if he had secured that out. His pitches were flat, and he was serving them up right over the plate, allowing the Rangers’ top hitters to capitalize.
Relievers can have off days, and Weaver shouldn’t be the focus of frustration. Despite the Yankees’ over-reliance on him due to their weak bullpen depth, Weaver has performed well overall this season.
The blame here lies with Boone, who removed his ace, Gerrit Cole, despite Cole having a season-high 10 strikeouts through five innings. Although Cole was showing signs of fatigue, he was largely in control. His only major trouble came in the fourth inning when he allowed the first three batters to reach base and give up a run, but he recovered by striking out the next three. He then pitched a clean fifth inning and got Langford out quickly to start the sixth.
If Boone’s plan was to pull Cole, he should have done so after the fifth inning. It was perplexing to start the sixth with Cole, only to remove him after two pitches for a reliever like Weaver, who has typically pitched in later innings.
This is the kind of perplexing bullpen management that fans often criticize Boone for. His decisions sometimes lack clear logic, and the reasoning behind them is rarely apparent. Was the decision influenced by lefty Nathaniel Lowe coming up next? Were we really focusing on matchups in the sixth inning with no one on base? Did Boone truly believe Cole was done at 90 pitches? Was he ready to let Weaver pitch 1 2/3 innings? Why choose Weaver in a low-leverage situation?
With the score now 8-1 in favor of the Rangers, attention shifts to the upcoming rubber match on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, we await updates on Trent Grisham, who was hit on the hand by a pitch.
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