While some of the criticism Aaron Boone receives from Yankees fans is overblown, his handling of the bullpen continues to raise valid concerns—Saturday’s game provided yet another example. With the Yankees trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Boone called on Ian Hamilton to keep the game within reach. Instead, the Athletics extended their lead to 11-6 by the end of the inning, with Hamilton responsible for three of the four runs scored. Many fans saw it coming.
Hamilton allowed two walks and a single while only recording two outs. Tyler Matzek gave up two more crucial runs afterward, but Hamilton’s struggles were what opened the floodgates.
This marks the second straight time Hamilton has been put into a crucial situation and failed. Boone repeated a mistake by relying on him again under pressure.
Though Hamilton has generally been a reliable bullpen option during his three seasons with the Yankees, he hasn’t looked the same this year. In his previous outing, he allowed two runs while recording just one out in a tie game, leaving with New York trailing. Though the team pulled off a comeback win, it was a warning sign.
Despite a respectable 3.38 ERA in nine outings, Hamilton has walked eight batters in just 10.2 innings—highlighting his control issues. His powerful stuff is undeniable, but without consistent command, it’s risky to trust him in key moments. Predictably, he walked two more batters on Saturday.
With injuries to relievers like Jake Cousins and Jonathan Loaisiga, Boone’s options have been limited, but it’s still questionable why he didn’t consider alternatives. Tim Hill had only thrown one pitch in the seventh—why not use him to start the eighth? Devin Williams also looked promising in his last appearance and could’ve been a better choice.
The Yankees would have needed a run in the ninth to tie it, and it’s impossible to say how things might have unfolded if the score had stayed close. But inserting Hamilton all but guaranteed that a comeback against Mason Miller was out of reach. Ideally, this marks the end of Hamilton being used in high-leverage situations—at least for now.
