Yankees fans have alternately praised Aaron Boone as the greatest manager of all-time and derided him as someone who can’t be fired fast enough this season – but after 162 games, and after needing all nine innings of Game 162, Boone has piloted his team to its fifth straight postseason berth.
And Boone can’t think if a more fitting way, or a more fitting person than Aaron Judge, to get it done.
“A very fitting way to end it, to get in on the last day, on the last pitch in the last inning, and Judgey had such a great season for us, fitting he’d drive it in,” Boone said. “We’ve been through a lot this year, it’s been a tough year, but we’re in the dance now, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to go do something special.”
The Rays are noted as one of the leaders in the analytical revolution, so some may see their decision to not walk Judge, with one out and first base open, and instead pitch to him with the infield in, as questionable.
Some, but not Boone.
“I didn’t think they’d want to bring the walk into play,” Boone said. “I thought they’d pitch him tough, but you’re playing a batting average versus on-base game at that point.”
The Yankees almost didn’t need Judge, as Anthony Rizzo smoked a ball to right field with Tyler Wade on second, but third base coach Phil Nevin held Wade up at third, and the throw home allowed Rizzo to reach second for the final at-bat.
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Once again, a pair of great decisions, one by a coach and one by a trail runner.
“I always think Wade can score, and first of all, great job on him tagging up (on Gleyber Torres’ fly ball),” Boone said. “My eyes went to the outfield, and I saw it was smoked and I know Arozarena throws well, so I was like, ‘oh, no.’ My eyes went to third, and I thought it was the right thing to hold him up. The throw was up the line so who knows, but if it’s an on-target throw, he was dead to rights.”
The Yankees had just four hits on the night, three of them in the ninth to win it, and so Boone had to credit his pitching staff for holding a Rays team that scored 16 runs in the first two games of the series to a goose egg when they needed it most.
“It started with Jamo – I was hoping for one of maybe two, possibly three if everything went great, but the fact he was able to get one out into the fourth really set us up well,” Boone said. “We knew we had all our guys and we could use them the way we did, protecting one another. As much as we needed and wanted to win, if we lost there was a game tomorrow, so the fact they all came in and were so pitch efficient, they were awesome.”
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And so, the normally loquacious Boone stood back and “let them have their moment and enjoy it” instead of addressing his team in the clubhouse – “It was kind of like a belt ceremony with a little champagne mixed in,” he smiled – and exhaled a sigh of relief.
And then, it was on to the next one, which turns out to be Boston in Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park, the winner to meet the Rays in the ALDS starting Thursday.
“No question a little sigh of relief, a little exhale, and a lot of joy, because of what we’ve been through this year,” Boone said. “We get to go play meaningful games this month, so there’s joy in that, but shortly, it’s back to work, because we have bigger fish to fry now.”
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