Familiarity bites Yankees as Boone’s relative, son of ex-coach steal the game

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Two acquaintances of manager Aaron Boone played a key role in robbing the Yankees of the game on Thursday. The Bombers split the series with the Athletics after their 3-1 loss at Yankee Stadium.

While not sharing the Boone surname, Oakland Athletics shortstop Nick Allen boasts a familial connection to manager Aaron Boone through marriage. Allen, husband to the Yankee manager’s niece Savannah (daughter of former All-Star Bret Boone), has been welcomed into the baseball-loving Boone family, even spending time at the manager’s Connecticut residence.

This week’s series at Yankee Stadium saw Boone once again playing host to Allen, though on Thursday, Allen’s hospitality was limited. In the third inning, he hammered a solo home run against Nestor Cortes, contributing to the A’s eventual 3-1 victory.

Allen wasn’t the only Boone-connected player finding success against Cortes. Shortly after, Tyler Nevin, son of former Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin (a close friend of Boone), launched a two-run homer.

Reflecting on the game, Cortes acknowledged a potential overreliance on fastballs against Allen and a missed opportunity with Nevin, who struggled against the cutter before the home run pitch. Introducing more inside pitches, Cortes believed, could have yielded a different outcome.

Skipper Boone echoed Cortes’ sentiment, acknowledging the pitcher’s strong overall performance despite a critical lapse in the third inning. Cortes completed seven innings, surrendering just five hits and three runs (all earned) with no walks, four strikeouts, and 94 pitches thrown. This outing maintains his season ERA at a respectable 3.50 after six starts.

While praising Cortes’ consistency and effective fastball usage throughout the game, Boone emphasized the importance of learning from the momentary lapse that ultimately affected the outcome.

Yankees’ offense stalls after missing too many chances

Following their homer-fueled win on Wednesday, the New York Yankees’ bats went cold in a frustrating 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

Despite facing a struggling Alex Wood, who boasted a hefty 7.89 ERA entering the game, the Yankees mustered only one run. This lone score came from a solo home run by Jose Trevino in the second inning. Wood, although surrendering eight hits, managed to stifle the Yankees’ offense over 5.2 innings, preventing them from capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Wood’s effectiveness in forcing ground balls during key moments. However, his main concern was the team’s missed opportunities. The Yankees left 11 runners stranded on base and cashed in on just one out of seven scoring chances with runners in position, excluding Trevino’s homer.

“You want to create that traffic, but you gotta deliver on it,” the Yankees skipper said after his team left 11 on base. “We weren’t able to do that tonight.”

The game began promisingly for the Yankees. Anthony Volpe led off with a single, followed by a double from Juan Soto and a walk drawn by Aaron Judge. However, the momentum stalled, and the “Bombers” failed to score in the first inning. Their struggles continued against the overpowering fastball of closer Mason Miller, who secured a four-out save.

Boone commended Miller’s impressive arsenal, highlighting his 100+ mph fastball and sharp slider. He acknowledged Miller’s potential as a valuable asset for the A’s bullpen.

With this loss, the Yankees’ record dips to 17-9. They now turn their focus to reigniting their offense on a crucial road trip. The journey begins with a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday, followed by a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles starting Monday.

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