On Sunday, August 11, 2024, the New York Yankees lost 7-1 to the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. The defeat was the Yankees’ seventh in their last ten games. Manager Aaron Boone was removed from the contest in the third inning after disputing a strike call.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Boone stressed that the Yankees remain in postseason contention despite two months of poor results.
“The game is littered with dead and buried teams,” Boone told The Athletic. “We’re in playoff position right now. We’ve been through two bad months where we haven’t performed at a level we need to. Go back the year before, the year before, you can pick out a number of teams that are sitting in a worse position than we are right now that go on a run. We have the people to do that, no doubt in my mind. It’s just sitting here as talk right now.”
He contrasted this year’s circumstances with the 2023 season, when he did not think the team could mount the surge required to compete.
“We haven’t been good enough the last two months. This is different than ’23 where I didn’t think we were necessarily capable of that run that we needed to really get hot. We were out of it at that point. This is different. We’re in a position right now where we’re in control of things. We’re in a playoff spot, technically. I believe we have the people to get it done. We got to play consistent baseball, period.”
Following the loss, New York was ahead of the Cleveland Guardians by half a game for the American League’s final wild-card berth.
- The Yankees have lost 7 of their last 10 games, including a 7-1 loss to the Astros on August 11, 2024, but remain a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the final AL wild-card position.
- Aaron Boone was ejected for the fifth time in 2024 during the August 11 game and continues to express confidence in the team, with Joe Torre and Jorge Posada publicly defending him.
- The Yankees are without Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, Oswaldo Cabrera, and several relievers due to injury, and Aaron Judge missed games earlier in the season.
Boone’s Position and Player Availability
Ethan Sears of the New York Post reported that Boone could face significant questions about his position if the Yankees do not reach the postseason.
At the Yankees’ annual “Old-Timers’ Day” on Saturday, August 10, 2024, Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre said Boone would get a run out of these guys. Former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said, “It’s not his fault.”
Posada said some players are not at 100% health.
“He’s got some guys banged up, not at 100 percent. So it’s not his fault that some guys are not playing at their potential. … Obviously, they went through a stretch, lost a lot of key guys. Health really matters.”
Among the team’s injuries, Gerrit Cole has been out since before the season started, Luis Gil only recently made his debut, and Clarke Schmidt and Oswaldo Cabrera have been ruled out for the year. Several relievers are sidelined, and Aaron Judge has missed games earlier in the season.
Betting Lines and Futures Odds
Futures odds from major sportsbooks placed the Yankees between +800 and +1400 to win the World Series. BetMGM listed the Yankees at +800. ESPN’s latest snapshot listed the Yankees at +1400.
For the Tuesday, August 12, 2024, home game against the Minnesota Twins, BetMGM’s line on Monday was Yankees -175. On game day, lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars moved to Yankees -220, Twins +178, with a total of 9 runs (Over -116 / Under -105). The Yankees were -1.5 runs at -105.
In American League MVP betting markets, Aaron Judge was listed as the favorite, with prices between -125 and -150 depending on the sportsbook. Seattle Mariners player Cal Raleigh was next, near even money.
On Monday, August 10, 2024, the Yankees beat the Twins 6-2. In that game, the Yankees hit four solo home runs. Starting pitcher Will Warren threw 6⅔ innings, allowed 3 hits, recorded 7 strikeouts, and did not issue a walk.
Boone’s Fifth 2024 Ejection
In the third inning on August 11, Boone argued a low strike call from pitcher Jason Alexander to Ryan McMahon. Plate umpire Derek Thomas told him, “I’ve heard you enough Aaron,” before ejecting him. Boone continued the discussion for about one minute before third base umpire Jordan Baker intervened, and McMahon’s at-bat resumed, ending with a flyout to center field.
The Astros were leading 2-0 at the time. In the fifth, Cam Smith hit a two-run double after Atlanta pitcher Max Fried did not receive a called third strike, increasing the lead to 4-0.
“It definitely would have been nice,” Fried said. “No one’s going to look back and really care. You got to be able to make the pitch and get out of it.”
Houston went on to win 7-1. Boone later said,
“It was the first couple of innings. I was on him a lot. That’s over and done with and it is what it is and that isn’t the reason we lost this game.”
This was Boone’s fifth ejection of 2024 and the 44th since he became Yankees manager in 2018. He was ejected six times last season.
