{"id":62017,"date":"2018-04-02T09:22:40","date_gmt":"2018-04-02T09:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=62017"},"modified":"2018-04-02T09:22:40","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T09:22:40","slug":"aaron-boones-decision-backfires-as-yankees-blow-lead-in-loss-to-blue-jays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/aaron-boones-decision-backfires-as-yankees-blow-lead-in-loss-to-blue-jays.html","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Boone’s decision backfires as Yankees blow lead in loss to Blue Jays"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aaron Boone’s decision backfires as Yankees blow lead in loss to Blue Jays<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Conventional baseball wisdom said one thing, while the new Yankee manager\u2019s data said something else.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in the aftermath, there were no regrets.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a game-altering moment, Boone\u2019s decision to have David Robertson pitch to Justin Smoak backfired in Sunday\u2019s eighth inning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoak\u2019s grand slam, his second homer of the game, lifted the Blue Jays to a 7-4 victory at Rogers Centre, giving Toronto a four-game split of this season-opening series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI threw everything I had at him,\u2019\u2019 Robertson said. \u201cHe just won today.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

But should Smoak have been in that situation in the first place?<\/span><\/p>\n

The decision<\/span>
\nWith right-handed David Robertson pitching and first base open with two out and the Yankees clinging to a 4-3 lead, Boone elected to intentionally walk the righty-hitting Josh Donaldson (1-for-3, walk) and load the bases for the lefty-hitting Smoak.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just on a whim. That\u2019s the match-up we wanted,\u2019\u2019 Boone said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoak was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts against Robertson entering that at-bat, while Donaldson was 3-for-8 with two career homers against D-Rob.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his previous at-bat on Sunday, Smoak blasted a two-run homer off Tommy Kahnle, cutting the Yankees\u2019 lead to 4-3 in the seventh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get too caught up in last at-bat, two at-bats ago, or even recent small history,\u2019\u2019 Boone said. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to match up skill set versus skill set,\u2019\u2019 and Robertson\u2019s curveball was the defining factor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The battle<\/span>
\nSmoak barely fouled off a couple of Robertson breaking pitches, running the count full before sending a fastball over the center field wall and detonating 29,091 fans under the Rogers Centre roof.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI threw him some really good pitches…and he stayed on me,\u2019\u2019 Robertson said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I could really throw him another curveball, he\u2019d already seen too many of them, probably the best I had a that time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I tried to throw a fastball there and it was the wrong pitch,\u2019\u2019 Robertson said. \u201cHe\u2019s a good hitter, I\u2019ve gotten him out a lot in the past and it\u2019s frustrating. I was one pitch away and didn\u2019t get it done.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Where there\u2019s Smoak<\/span><\/p>\n

Over his final two at-bats, Smoak\u2019s two homers and six RBI wiped out a 4-1 Yankees lead. He had three hits and two RBI in Saturday\u2019s 5-3 Toronto win, and Donaldson, battling a sore right shoulder, was 2-for-13 in the series.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, \u201cwe liked the match-up (with Robertson) as much as you can against a really good hitter,\u2019\u2019 said Boone, adding that Aroldis Chapman was not an option for a four-out save this early in the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yankees starter Sonny Gray was in trouble in each of his four innings, but gave up just one run (89 pitches). Chad Green tossed two strong, scoreless innings before the Yanks\u2019 bullpen faltered.<\/span><\/p>\n

After finishing the seventh inning, Robertson gave up two hits \u2013 including an Aledmys Diaz double -before the Smoak homer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t make enough quality pitches,\u2019\u2019 Robertson said. \u201cAnd I blew it today.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Judge and Drury<\/span><\/p>\n

Capping a rally that began with two out and nobody on base, Brandon Drury\u2019s first homer as a Yankee – a two-run shot – finished off a four-run third inning against Toronto starter Marcus Stroman, who lasted five innings. Didi Gregorius (double) and Neil Walker had the previous RBI hits.<\/span><\/p>\n

And Aaron Judge, in right field, threw out Russell Martin attempting to score from second base \u2013 with one out – on a second-inning single by Gift Ngoepe.<\/span><\/p>\n

MORE YANKEES: Miguel Andujar gets his chance in the Yankees’ lineup<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew they were probably sending him and Ro (catcher Austin Romine) made a great play on a short hop,\u2019\u2019 said Judge, caught by TV cameras as slyly saying to himself something to the effect of \u201cdon\u2019t run on me.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust talking to myself,\u2019\u2019 Judge said, choosing to keep his thoughts personal. \u201cI do that a lot.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/yankees\/2018\/04\/01\/aaron-boones-decision-backfires-yankees-blow-lead-loss-blue-jays\/476897002\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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