How 2 critical Aaron Boone mistakes cost the Yankees against the Rangers

Yankees: Aaron Boone made the wrong pinch-hitting decision

Onto the home half of the tenth, with D.J. Lemahieu set to start as the runner on second base, Kiner-Falefa, McKinney, and Higashioka were due up needing two runs needed to tie it up. Kiner-Falefa led off with an unfortunate line out to center field. A ball that had an xBA of .370 was hit right to Leody Taveras and was unable to advance Lemahieu to third. Arguably the more critical mistake happened after, as Josh Donaldson stepped up to the plate vs left-hander Will Smith in place of the red-hot left fielder McKinney.

As Donaldson stepped up to the plate, the infamous boo-birds of the Bronx appeared at their loudest, as Donaldson has been ice cold. Slashing at a .127/.200/.413, with 62 wRC+, a .051 BABIP, and -3.4 wRAA (weighted runs above average), and 0 for his last 14 at-bats, he was just not fit for the job, striking out vs Will Smith. But to be completely fair, it is 100 percent on Aaron Boone for not letting the red-hot McKinney hit vs a lefty.

This season, McKinney is 3-5 with an RBI single vs left-handed pitchers. And if you look at Will Smith’s delivery, he has a typical over-the-top delivery, with a league-average fastball and slider. With no disrespect to the Rangers closer, he isn’t Andrew Miller throwing sidearm, with sweeping sliders that almost no lefty can touch. It is a pitch mix that should be touchable to any Major League batter.

That goes without mentioning that McKinney has been great in his run with the Yankees. Slashing .318/.348./.636 with a .984 OPS, and over 160 wRC+ is way too valuable to be pinch hit for in a situation for an ice-cold Donaldson. McKinney has a hit in all but one game as a Yankee, as he took a walk in that game. It is inexcusable to just sight a Lefty/Lefty matchup as an excuse to pull one of the hottest hitters in baseball.

The use of Lefty/Lefty pinch-hitting scenarios has been something the Yankees have done for most of the Boone era. Although it does make sense, it should not take the place of recent performance and overall ability.