The Los Angeles Angels defeated the New York Yankees on Monday night in large part thanks to a clutch two-run Shohei Ohtani home run. Yankees manager Aaron Boone received some huge criticism for not intentionally walking Ohtani in that at-bat, and doubled down on his decision in an interview Tuesday.
The Yankees had decided to intentionally walk Ohtani earlier in the game with a runner in scoring position, but didn’t do so in the seventh inning, which is when he hit his 35th home run of the year.
OHTANI, TIE GAME 🦄@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/KES9yGTrdY
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 18, 2023
Boone was asked to explain the decision of walking him in the fifth inning, but pitching to him in the seventh inning on the Talkin’ Yanks podcast on Tuesday. HE defended the decision, and
Jomboy tells Aaron Boone he would have walked Shohei Ohtani
"When you manage the team you can make that call" -Boone pic.twitter.com/KaXdgQG9qW
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 18, 2023
“We’re walking him in the fifth in a 0-0 game,” said Boone. “With two outs I was just going to take my shot. And in the seventh we got a two-run lead. I didn’t want to just throw the tying run on base. He doesn’t homer 90-something percent of the time you know? And we’re obviously pitching carefully to him there, and we didn’t execute.”
Boone then asked whether the podcast hosts would have walked him in that spot, which was met with a resounding yes.
He then got a bit defensive, saying that it is his right to make that call as the manager of the Yankees.
“When you manage the team, you can make that call then,” Boone added.
It is certainly a tough choice, but it may have been a better decision to pitch to a less talented player behind Ohtani at such a key moment of the game.
Regardless, the Yankees lost their second consecutive game and their seventh in their last ten games largely because of this decision. They now sit at just a 50-45 record, and it seems like Boone’s decisions will be under a microscope as long as the team is underperforming.
