Derek Jeter, famously known as “Mr. November,” voiced strong criticism over Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s controversial decision during their postseason face-off against the Dodgers. The decision in question was Boone’s removal of pitcher Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning, who had kept the Dodgers at bay with just four hits and one run over 88 pitches.
During a discussion on Fox’s World Series postgame show, Jeter shed light on what he termed a questionable move. He harked back to a time when pitchers, like Al Leiter in 2000, would endure high pitch counts, emphasizing Cole’s dominant performance as a reason he should have remained on the mound longer. “It’s a domino effect,” Jeter explained, pointing to how Boone’s decision reverberated throughout the rest of the game and influenced the Yankees’ options in extra innings.
The Yankees fell into a pitching conundrum post-Cole, burning through Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Luke Weaver, which eventually led Boone to call up Jake Cousins, leaving Nestor Cortes to face the lethal trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. The choice cost the Yankees dearly when Freeman blasted a walk-off grand slam, closing out the game 6-3 in favor of the Dodgers.
Despite Boone’s post-game claims that Cole seemed “a little bit taxed,” the ripple effects of his strategic choice proved costly. #DerekJeter #GerritCole #AaronBoone #YankeesLoss #PostseasonDrama #MLB #GameStrategy #DodgersWin
