NEW YORK (AP) - Aaron Boone regrets his slow hook of Luis Severino.
Given a night to reflect on New York’s record-setting 16-1 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, the Yankees’ rookie manager said he would not have let his ace take the mound for the fourth inning down 3-0 after allowing five singles and several hard-hit outs.
“Certainly in hindsight, when he doesn’t get an out, I’d like to have that back,” Boone said before Game 4 on Tuesday. “Being able to look back in hindsight, sure, go in a different way there in that spot.”
Severino lasted just six pitches in the fourth, allowing a pair of singles and a four-pitch walk to the bottom three hitters in the Red Sox batting order.
Lance Lynn, usually a starter, came in and started with a four-pitch walk to Mookie Betts that forced in a run. Lynn also gave up Andrew Benintendi’s three-run double that put Boston ahead 7-0. Later in the inning, Chad Green allowed Steve Pearce’s RBI single and Brock Holt’s two-run triple that boosted the margin to 10.
Boston went on to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, and Boone was criticized for his decisions on sports-talk radio and in other media.
“I don’t see it. I know it’s out there because of the texts I receive, the ’hang in theres,’” Boone said. “We can all sit and second - not even second guess, first guess or second guess - I would do this, and that’s one of the great things about our game.”
Following his retirement as a player, Boone was an ESPN analyst from 2010-17. Asked whether Boone the broadcaster would have criticized Boone the manager, he smiled and said: “No, absolutely not.”
Boone investigated a report by TBS that Severino had insufficient time to warm up before the game. The network said Severino began his warmups 10 minutes before the first pitch; Boone said he spoke at length with the 24-year-old right-hander and with pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
“I have no issue with how he warmed up,” Boone said. “As far as his routine and what he does to get ready, it was very much on par with what he always does.”
Feeling down after the loss, which he repeatedly referred to as a “gut punch,” Boone did not listen to postgame discussion on his drive home to Greenwich, Connecticut. He turned to “80s on 8” on Sirius XM Radio.
“The soothing sounds,” he said.
LINEUP CHANGES
Center fielder Aaron Hicks returned to the starting lineup after missing two games because of a tight right hamstring. Brett Gardner shifted to left field and Andrew McCutchen went to the bench, moves designed to put another left-handed bat in the lineup against right-hander Rick Porcello. Boone also inserted Neil Walker at third base in place of rookie Miguel Andujar, behind slow-moving lefty CC Sabathia. Walker is a more reliable fielder than Andujar and was at third for Sabathia’s last four regular-season starts.
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