Aaron Boone went to his bullpen in the sixth inning of Thursday’s loss to the Rays, yanking Domingo German after he surrendered a two-out walk while holding a 1-0 lead.
Boone called on Ron Marinaccio, one of his best relievers since last season, but the righty faltered immediately, giving up a single and hitting a batter before serving up a bases-clearing double off the wall in right center by Josh Lowe.
Suddenly, a 1-0 deficit was a 4-0 cushion, more than enough for the Rays to finish off a struggling Yankee lineup.
For Sal Licata, Boone’s quick hook of German was just another reminder that the Yankee manager has not learned from the same tendencies he has shown since taking the job five years ago.
“When you see a pattern, like the one Aaron Boone has followed since he’s been here in 2018, he is overly eager to get into the bullpen,” Sal said. “He’d rather the next guy lose it than the first guy get knocked out of the game.
“German was hitting that pitch total, he didn’t want him going another turn through the lineup, that’s it. ‘Let me get into my bullpen. I can’t wait.’”
Boone took German out of a game in which he was cruising earlier this month against the Guardians, and it turned into one of the worst losses of the season after Clay Holmes blew the lead. It was a highly criticized move, and the criticisms haven’t stopped in terms of Boone’s bullpen management.
“You can’t tell me you’re better off getting to three or four different guys if one guy is dealing,” Sal said. “You should only have to use three or four or five different guys if your first guy isn’t any good.
“You could have let German easily finish off that sixth inning, and maybe even come out for the seventh.”
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