The Yankees have not officially named a starting pitcher for Friday night’s homestand opener against the Rays, with Aaron Boone only revealing that the team will recall RHP Michael King from the Alternate Site and “he will factor in somehow.”
King allowed just one hit over six innings in his only appearance this season and did not hit a batter in that game; that’s not something the Yankees can say for any of last weekend’s three games against the Rays in Florida, including a Sunday game where Jordan Montgomery hit Austin Meadows twice.
Rays manager Kevin Cash and catcher Mike Zunino – who was hit earlier in the series – were both upset about the plunkings, even if Cash admitted he didn’t think any were intentional, and both Boone and Montgomery addressed it by saying the same.
Thursday, in his weekly appearance with Carton & Roberts, Boone doubled down on that thought, and said he hopes there’s no carryover this weekend.
“I don’t expect anything; I certainly understand (Cash’s) frustration over the last series – I’d be upset about that too,” Boone said. “It’s not always about intentional, but when you’re seeing premium players knocked down or hit, that’s frustrating and you don’t want to see that.”
And, as checkered as the past is between the two teams, Boone hopes the past is indeed the past, and the “extracurricular stuff” doesn’t come into play.
“On our side, there’s nothing intentional, and we don’t want to go down that road at all,” the skipper said. “We know a good team is coming in to play us, and that’s our focus. Hopefully, the extracurricular stuff is not there at all this weekend.”
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