Yankees fans have reached a breaking point with Joey Gallo this season, perhaps none more than one fan who went viral with a rant watching his pinch-hit at-bat Tuesday night against the Mets.
A video originating on TikTok showed a fan on the phone with someone screaming in disgust that Gallo was being pinch-hit for Isiah Kiner-Falefa with two outs in the eighth inning of a 5-3 game with a runner on first.
“He’s going to strike out, like he always f—king does,” the fan screams at his TV.
(NSFW language)
Of course, the fan was proven right after Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz got Gallo to chase a 2-2 slide that was low for the strikeout.
While the Yankees still have the best record in baseball, Gallo has become a pariah this season amongst fans. He is hitting .161/.285/.342 with 12 home runs and 24 RBI this season and has been reduced to a pinch-hitter off the bench after being a key trade deadline acquisition a year ago.
Aaron Boone defended the move to pinch-hit Gallo, saying he needed two runs and with two outs Gallo was their best shot to tie the game (Kiner-Falefa has zero home runs this year).
“Forcing their hand to at least get the closer in tehre four a four-out situation,” Boone said. “It’s not tying run on second, it’s ‘We need two runs.’ [Adam Ottovino] is tough against righties, to me it was an on-base situation and I think Joey gives us a shot at that.”
Yet, it’s getting to the point where nothing really matters when Gallo is at bat and the Yankees may need to do something about it sooner than later.
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