"When you're in a tight game like that, you gotta pull those games out" - Aaron Boone frustrated as Yankees implode in extra innings loss to Guardians
Manager Aaron Boone lamented the defensive sloppiness of his players after the New York Yankees suffered a late implosion in a 9-5 home defeat against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. The Bronx Bombers allowed the Guardians to score six runs in the 12th inning after failing to make some decisive plays in clutch situations, which resulted in another demoralizing loss for the team.
The Yankees had initially surged into a two-run lead courtesy of back-to-back home runs from Juan Soto and captain Aaron Judge. However, the Guardians leveled the score by the third frame, and the game was tied at three runs apiece when it moved into extra innings.
The visitors eventually moved into the lead with a double from Lane Thomas before Jose Ramirez drove home with a single. David Fry then dealt the killing blow with a triple that scored three runs and put them in a commanding position to seal the victory.
Boone was left to rue the missed opportunities while he lauded Cleveland for their defensive work in the post-game press conference.
"Especially when you're not driving in a ton of runs and killing the ball, you gotta do everything perfect. They made a couple of more plays. They made a great play in right at the wall against us on Wells' ball. When you're in a tight game like that, you gotta pull those games out," Boone said.
The Bronx Bombers are now on a three-game losing streak following Tuesday's loss. The Yankees will face the Guardians again on Wednesday for the second clash of their three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
D.J. LeMahieu is working his tail off to get it right: Aaron Boone
During the press conference, Aaron Boone also discussed D.J. LeMahieu's recent struggles, who had another forgettable outing after going 0-5 in the game and failing to get on base even once. The Yankees third baseman has been poor with the bat since returning from a long-term injury layoff. He has a .194/.270/.256 slash line with only seven extra-base hits and two home runs in 185 at-bats so far this season.
"It's been tough. It's been rough, no question about that," Boone said. "He has had moments where he has got it going a little bit. But it's been tough. I know he is working his tail off to get it right — to be a contributor. At this point, we have got to keep grinding with him."
LeMahieu is a three-time All-Star who has won two batting titles over his 14-year MLB career. He batted .285/.358/.430 in his five previous seasons for the Yankees with 73 home runs and an OPS of .788.