Yankees B team silences doubters as Aaron Boone matches legendary NY manager
There were plenty of reasons to think the New York Yankees would lose Monday's series opener to the Kansas City Royals.
Carlos Rodon was starting and the last time he pitched at Kauffman Stadium he gave up eight earned runs without registering an out.
Moreover, Aaron Boone set what amounted to a B-team lineup because of the short travel day. While Juan Soto returned as the designated hitter, Aaron Judge got a day off along with Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver were to be unavailable out of the bullpen.
Fans across social media called it a punt lineup. The Yankees didn't buy into that.
Yankees rolled out the “B lineup” today after the late travel day and it’s actually been really refreshing to see the approach suit the skill set. In past seasons it would have been a bunch of guys trying to hit the hero homer. Today it’s been singles, bunts, good at-bats and…
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) June 11, 2024
Facing Royals ace Seth Lugo, the Yankees played small ball to perfection. Three sacrifice bunts helped New York take a 4-0 lead by the fifth inning, which is also when Rodon's no-hitter was finally broken up.
The pitcher exorcised his demons, lasting seven innings with five hits and one run allowed. He struck out three. Rodon is now 9-2 with an ERA down to 2.93. He's gone seven straight starts with six innings of action and no more than three earned runs allowed. This is the pitcher the Yankees signed for $162 million.
To keep the good vibes going, Michael Tonkin stepped in to get the save, striking out two in the final frame with Clay Holmes unavailable.
Aaron Boone, Yankees calm the panic with B lineup
There was a bit of panic over the weekend when New York lost a marquee series to the Dodgers 1-2. The performance against the Royals with a weakened lineup was proof that the Yankees won't be thrown off by a couple of disappointing results.
Boone in particular was set up for scorn with his lineup choice but they rewarded his faith. The fact that they did it with small ball was a proof of concept. NY can win in a variety of ways, not just with power.
It was fitting then that the victory was Boone's 556th as Yankees manager, tying him with Billy Martin for seventh on the all-time managerial wins list in New York.
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