Yankees fans slam Aaron Boone for using Domingo German as a relief pitcher: "Fire this clown"
Many fans were surprised when New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo Germán came into the game in the fifth innings after being pulled from Monday's start against the Tampa Bay Rays due to an arm ailment.
At Yankee Stadium, Germán ended up pitching five scoreless innings of relief work while striking out four batters and allowing only two hits, but the damage had already been done. New York ultimately fell 5-1.
Yankees' manager Aaron Boone provided an explanation of the use of Germán following the game, stating that while he had been given the all-clear by the club doctor in the early evening, he was limited to the bullpen due to the lack of warmup time for the opening pitch.
Aaron Boone explains the decision process behind Domingo Germán appearing in relief against the Rays. pic.twitter.com/V3R43kNPaw
Boone's decision outraged Yankees fans. They blasted him and expressed their anger on social media:
"Fire this clown," wrote one while the other commented: "Absolutely a lie lol."
@YESNetwork Fire this clown
@YESNetwork Absolutely a lie lol
Boone: Ah,um,ah,um,ah,um,ah….
@YESNetwork Boone: Ah,um,ah,um,ah,um,ah….
No other word..!!
@YESNetwork No other word..!! pic.twitter.com/7K5j8HLAAf
Worst manager in Yankees history
@YESNetwork Worst manager in Yankees history
What a mess. And such a weird situation. #Yankees
@YESNetwork What a mess. And such a weird situation. #Yankees
@YESNetwork pic.twitter.com/Jb4shPoVMW
Was Aaron Boone confused?
The Yankees' offense was nonexistent, as they managed just three hits and relied solely on Jake Bauers' solo home run in the second innings to score.
Only a few hours earlier, Boone told ESPN that Germán's soreness in his armpit on Sunday prevented him from playing catch, prompting the team's decision to omit him from the game:
"We just didn't feel like we could risk sending him out there and then if we had to pull the plug in the first inning or something, it would put us in a tough situation.
"So he's going to see the doctor I think in about an hour just to rule anything out. We don't think it's an IL situation, but want him to see the doctor and just make sure."
The Yankees will attempt to recover when they take on the Rays in Game 2 of their series on Tuesday night.