Yankees manager Aaron Boone has caught some flak from fans and pundits after his decision to remove ace Max Fried in the seventh inning of the club's eventual 3-1 loss to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League wild-card series on Tuesday night. Fried, after working himself out of trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, came out for the seventh having expended 99 pitches. After Fried induced a Jarren Duran groundout, Boone made the trip from the dugout and took the ball from his starter, turning to a Yankees bullpen that has been equal parts brilliant and disastrous this season.
Yankees reliever Luke Weaver got two quick strikes on Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, but it was all downhill from there. A walk, a double and a single later, and the Red Sox had the lead.
