It looked as if the New York Yankees were sitting pretty on Saturday when Austin Wells took Garrett Crochet deep over the short porch to give them an early 3-1 lead, but the Red Sox scored 9 of the game's next 13 runs and won the game 10-7. The loss isn't solely Aaron Boone's fault, but the decision to deploy Ian Hamilton in a one-run game in the ninth inning is one that's really tough to justify.
Hamilton pitched the ninth inning and immediately allowed four straight Red Sox hitters to reach base. Two of those runners scored, turning what was a one-run deficit into a three-run deficit.
Hamilton was once an important piece in the Yankees' bullpen, and he hadn't pitched in a week, but using him in that game in that spot is just the latest Aaron Boone blunder involving the reliever.
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Aaron Boone's controversial decision took the Yankees out of the game
Boone might not be on the field, but he's responsible for putting his team in the best position to succeed. Using Hamilton, probably their sixth-best reliever at best right now, in a one-run game in the ninth inning, is not doing that.
Why one of New York's high-leverage arms wasn't used in that ninth inning, especially after Mark Leiter Jr. pitched the eighth, is a question Boone must answer. Jonathan Loaisiga probably was unavailable after pitching back-to-back days, but while Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz pitched on Friday, they threw 14 and nine pitches, respectively. Williams should've been available, and Cruz especially should've been available. There's no telling whether they would've kept Boston off the board, but they would've had a better shot than Hamilton, right?
The decision to use Hamilton turned the deficit from one run to three runs. Completing a three-run comeback in an inning isn't impossible, but the Yankees essentially went from being one swing away from tying the game to needing two base runners and a big swing to tie the game. With Aroldis Chapman pitching as well as he has this season, scoring three runs against him is a lot tougher than scoring one, and he faced a lot less pressure than he would've had the Yankees been able to hold the fort in the top half of the inning.
Again, Boone isn't on the field, and Hamilton had to do a better job executing. Still, he shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. This decision essentially decided the game when the Yankees were still within striking distance prior to it.