Going into Wednesday’s game with the Texas Rangers, the New York Yankees were on a five-game losing streak that included a three-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins and two consecutive losses to the Rangers.
Manager Aaron Boone was in the spotlight as a lot of his decisions seemed to bite him in the behind during this struggling stretch of games. Boone continued to go with closer Devin Williams in big spots, and Williams continued to let him down. The righty recorded a blown save and a loss on back-to-back nights leading into Wednesday’s contest.
With that in mind, Boone turned to trade deadline addition David Bednar with one out in the eighth inning, clinging to a one-run lead.
Bednar would escape the eighth inning after a walk and a pair of strikeouts. Boone sent the veteran closer back out for the ninth inning, and it looked to be the right decision after Bednar struck out the first two hitters in the inning.
A walk to Corey Seager and a single from Marcus Semien brought Boone to the mound to pull Bednar, as the righty was at a season high 35 pitches. But as Boone asked for the ball, Bednar reportedly told him he wasn’t coming out of the game.
The entire huddle was fired up, and Boone left his new star in the game. Bednar would proceed to win a seven-pitch battle with slugger Adolis Garcia to end the game with a huge strikeout.
Boone’s response to the game says it all.
“That’s a dawg effort right there,” Boone said, per The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.
That’s the kind of moment that can spark a team to turn its losing ways around.
It’s clear that Boone needs to turn to Bednar as the team’s closer down the stretch. Williams hasn’t been able to handle the bright lights, while Bednar is literally begging for the ball when the lights are the brightest.
It was a gutsy performance and, as Boone puts it, a “dawg effort.”
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