Boone Stands by Decision to Pull Max Fried
Yankees manager Aaron Boone defended pulling starter Max Fried after 6⅓ scoreless innings, even as the bullpen surrendered the lead in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series. Boone said he had planned to lift Fried after the sixth, but seeing Fried induce a double play and sit at 99 pitches made him consider leaving him in for one more out. Fried recorded that out in the seventh and handed the ball to the bullpen.
Boone explained his thinking: Fried had to work hard through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, and Boone felt Fried’s command dipped late. “He gave us what we needed and felt really good about the outing he put forth,” Boone said, noting he felt “convicted” in his decision to go to the pen after the double play.
Aroldis Chapman Finishes After Chaos in the Seventh
After Fried’s exit, Luke Weaver walked the first batter he faced, allowed a double and then gave up Masataka Yoshida’s pinch-hit two-run single. The Yankees fell behind, and David Bednar later allowed back-to-back hits in the ninth that widened Boston’s margin. When New York loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, the rally fell short — Aroldis Chapman recorded the final four outs to end the threat and secure the 3-1 finish for Boston.
- Bullpen sequence:
- Luke Weaver entered and did not record an out, walking Ceddanne Rafaela and yielding a double and Yoshida’s two-run single.
- David Bednar gave up consecutive hits in the ninth before Chapman closed it out.
- Chapman’s role: He closed the game and escaped the bases-loaded, no-outs situation, preserving the final scoreline.
Fried Felt He Could Continue, But Boone Opted for the Pen
Fried finished with four hits allowed and 102 pitches, 63 of them strikes. He said he “definitely felt good at the end,” and believed he had enough to keep going. Fried beat Jarren Duran to first for the final out he recorded and said he would “stay in until I get the ball taken from me.”
Boone noted his trust in Weaver for the matchup at the bottom of the order, but Weaver — coming off an inconsistent stretch since returning from a hamstring injury in June — couldn’t navigate the inning. Weaver acknowledged the disappointment and said he must be better.
Questioned Moves and Lineup Choices
Beyond the pitching change, Boone’s pregame lineup decisions drew scrutiny. Left-handed hitters Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon were not in the lineup against Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who retired 17 straight after Anthony Volpe’s early homer. Crochet ran into trouble late, but fellow left-hander Aroldis Chapman ultimately recorded the final four outs.
Boone has faced second-guessing before for bullpen moves in critical games — and after this loss, he accepted the criticism but stood by his choices, expressing only regret that Weaver did not retire Ceddanne Rafaela.
Missed Opportunities for the Yankees
The Yankees scored first on Anthony Volpe’s solo shot, and later loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. Paul Goldschmidt started that rally with a single and said a single would have tied the game. Despite that opportunity, the rally stalled and the Bronx club left the field with a loss.
The bullpen’s struggles were not new: New York’s pen carried a 4.37 ERA and had been a recurring weakness. Still, Chapman’s shutdown work at the end prevented a larger defeat and kept the Yankees alive in the series — for now.
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