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Aaron Boone explained his costly Ryan Weathers decision in the Yankees loss to the Athletics

The New York Yankees saw their five-game win streak get snapped on Saturday night, as they suffered a 6-4 defeat at the hands of the Athletics. Despite a late rally in the ninth inning, the Yanks came up just short in this one, as their record fell to 35-23 on the season.

As is typically the case, manager Aaron Boone found himself under the spotlight after this defeat, thanks to a controversial decision he made involving his starting pitcher, Ryan Weathers. Rather than pulling Weathers when he ran into trouble in the seventh inning, Boone left him in one batter too long, as Nick Kurtz made him pay by smacking a two-run home run that would eventually end up providing the A’s with their winning run on the night.

Aaron Boone Explains Ryan Weathers Decision

Boone has gotten himself in trouble in the past with his bullpen usage, and that issue reared its ugly head once again on Saturday night. Weathers turned in a solid outing (6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 10 K, 3 BB), but Boone pressed his luck and opted against turning his bullpen when he should have, and it may have cost his team a win.

New York was trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning when Weathers found himself matched up against Kurtz. With a runner on first, Boone opted to stick with Weathers, even though he was over 100 pitches on the night, as he trusted the lefty-on-lefty matchup. Kurtz immediately made him pay, as he launched a first-pitch fastball from Weathers over the wall in center field.

That gave the Athletics a 5-1 lead that they would relinquish, and considering how the Yankees would go on to score four runs on the night, it’s clear that this two-run bomb from Kurtz completely changed the complexion of the game. Boone stood by his decision after the game, although he did admit that, in retrospect, he should have turned to Camilo Doval sooner.

“I don’t question leaving him in there for Kurtz,” Boone said when asked about Weathers. “I’m going to take my left-on-left shot there with two outs. After he got those first two and had thrown quite a few pitches to that point, that’s the one where maybe I go to Doval there.”

Aaron Boone, Yankees Aiming to Bounce Back on Sunday vs. Athletics

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 30: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 30, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

When there are 162 regular-season games for the Yankees, it’s tough to get bent out of shape over one loss. The problem is that this is a recurring theme for Boone, and it has haunted this team for years. Boone’s in-game management remains mediocre at best, and it’s fair to wonder if he simply lacks the sort of feel for the game that is needed to press the right buttons for this team.

And yet, New York is still one of the better teams in the American League, so while Boone makes decisions that frequently leave folks scratching their heads, he’s clearly doing something right. The Yankees will look to move past this loss by aiming to pick up a series victory over the Athletics when they return to action on Sunday.