Aaron Boone Explains Why He Used Joey Gallo as Pinch Hitter Against Edwin Díaz
NEW YORK — It was a pivotal moment with a predictable result.
Down two runs with two out and a man on first in the top of the eighth on Tuesday night, with right-hander Adam Ottavino on the mound for the Mets, Yankees manager Aaron Boone elected to pull shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the game and use outfielder Joey Gallo as a pinch hitter.
As soon as Gallo walked out of the dugout with a helmet on, Mets manager Buck Showalter countered by strutting toward the mound, summoning closer Edwin Díaz for a four-out save.
In other words, a dominant reliever with the best strikeout-per-nine ratio (17.62) in baseball was jogging in from the bullpen to face a struggling outfielder with the second-highest strikeout rate (37.9%) in baseball (among players with 250-plus plate appearances this season).
Gallo struck out on five pitches, ending the threat.
Díaz proceeded to record all three outs in the ninth via the strikeout, securing a 6-3 win for the Mets.
Asked about the move that raised some eyebrows after the game, Boone stood by the decision.
"You've got Ottavino in there, who's obviously a tough righty. It's not about getting a hit in that situation, it's about getting on," Boone said. "That's the Ottavino component, and then, forcing their hand to at least get the closer in there for a four-out situation. It's not tying run on second. It's we need two runs, man on first. Otto is pretty tough against righties. It's an on-base situation, and I felt like Joey gives us a shot at that."
Gallo entered play on Tuesday night with a .286 on-base percentage in 2022. Kiner-Falefa, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games with two singles earlier in the contest, had a .319 OBP.
In all fairness, with all of Gallo's deficiencies this season, his plate discipline is one of his strongest attributes. Plus, when Gallo does make contact, he has the power to leave any ballpark. That's what happens when a slugger like Gallo has such a toxic relationship with baseball's three true outcomes.
Kiner-Falefa agreed after the game that Gallo was the better option in that situation as the asset that has the ability to tie the game with one swing.
"Joey has been one of the best power hitters in the game these last couple of years. I've got zero [home runs]," he said. "There's nothing I can say. Give him an opportunity to tie the game right there and if I get a single or something, we're still down two runs. It's nice to have somebody on the bench like that that has the power he does."
Still, Díaz has been unstoppable this season, posting unreal numbers while racking up 22 saves. Wouldn't you rather take your chances with a relatively hot hitter against a familiar face, a reliever in Ottavino that the Yankees know is susceptible to an implosion on the mound?
Regardless, this game wasn't won or lost in the eighth. New York dug themselves into a hole early on as starter Jordan Montgomery allowed five runs to score in 2.1 innings pitched. Plus, New York was 0-for-8 on the night with runners in scoring position, leaving a total of 10 runners on base.
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