Another Aaron Boone Decision Loses Game For Yanks

Here we go again. Another game, another avoidable Yankees loss, and — spoiler alert — another chapter in Aaron Boone’s How Not to Manage a Bullpen masterclass.

The Yankees coughed up a lost to the Sox. A 10-7 win, Yanks lose. Painful? Sure. Predictable? If you’ve watched this team under Boone, absolutely.

Now, let’s be fair: when a pitcher gets the ball, he’s supposed to do his job. If he doesn’t, that’s on him. But let’s zoom out. Because the question isn’t just who blew the game — it’s why was that guy in the game at all?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ian Hamilton. Your ninth-inning guy….against the Red Sox. Yes, that was the decision Aaron Boone made. And no, it doesn’t make sense.

Hamilton hadn’t pitched in a week. He’s been shaky. Yet Boone tapped him to hold the line in the ninth, and it predictably exploded in his face. Or rather, our faces. Because Yankee fans are the ones paying the price for this recurring nonsense.

FanSided said it best in a scathing and accurate breakdown:

“Hamilton pitched the ninth inning and immediately allowed four straight Red Sox hitters to reach base. Two of those runners scored, turning what was a one-run deficit into a three-run deficit. Hamilton was once an important piece in the Yankees’ bullpen, and he hadn’t pitched in a week, but using him in that game in that spot is just the latest Aaron Boone blunder.”

Boom. Right there. That’s the story. And that’s the problem.

This isn’t Hamilton hate. The guy has had moments. But managing isn’t just about pulling names from a hat — it’s about context. It’s about feel. It’s about not being completely clueless in high-leverage situations. And yet here we are.

Once again, the Yankees hand Boone a lead, and he returns it gift-wrapped to the opponent like a confused mall Santa in July.

We’ve been down this road before. We screamed about it last October when Boone trotted Nestor Cortes out to face Freddie Freeman with runners on and no bullets left. That wasn’t Year 1 Boone. That was Year 6 Boone. And it was still a total disaster.

So fast forward to last night. With the bullpen available, why was Ian Hamilton the choice? Jonathan Loáisiga likely wasn’t an option after back-to-back outings. Fine. But Devin Williams? He threw 14 pitches the night before. Fernando Cruz? Just 9 pitches.

And you’re telling me they were both down? In a one-run game? Against Boston?

Give me a break.

There’s no guarantee they would’ve shut the door, but the odds were infinitely better than running a rusty Hamilton out there cold. This wasn’t complicated. This wasn’t 4D chess. This was “Who’s my best arm tonight?” and Boone somehow forgot the entire board.

And here’s the part that blows my mind: where is the outrage?

Where are the other Yankees blogs? The analysts? The media members? Why aren’t more people calling this out?

The man is bad at this. Full stop. And every loss like this one is a reminder that a different manager might have this team in first place instead of floating in mediocrity. The margins matter. And Boone is consistently on the wrong side of them.

And don’t even get me started on the postgame pressers. You want professionalism from your manager? Boone was literally picking his teeth while talking to reporters after the game.

We’re not making this up. The Yankees are bleeding and this dude’s flossing on camera.

It’s embarrassing.

At some point, the Yankees’ front office has to recognize what’s painfully obvious to the rest of us: this team will never win a championship with Aaron Boone as the manager.

You want to beat Boston? Win a division? Hoist a trophy in October?

You don’t do it with a guy who thinks “rested and rusty” is a bullpen strategy.

Tonight is a must-win as far as I’m concerned. The series is still within reach. But if Boone keeps rolling out the wrong guy at the wrong time, this team will keep losing games it should win.

And when that happens — again — don’t blame the bullpen.

Blame the guy picking his teeth in the dugout while the season goes down the drain.

That’s the bottom line.