NEW YORK — Aroldis Chapman got roasted for a whole winter because he had a smirk on his face after giving up a game-ending, season-ending home run to Jose Altuve in the 2019 American League Championship Series.
Wednesday night, however, when he walked in the tying run and gave up the go-ahead run on a checked-swing single in a game the Yankees eventually came back and won, Chapman went ballistic.
He screamed coming off the mound and slammed his glove down when he got in the dugout and roared again. He stormed off to the clubhouse, apparently upset about the manager’s decision to intentionally walk the Royals’ Carlos Santana.
“It’s all good. He was understandably upset. He wanted to pitch to Santana and — even in hindsight, not just because it didn’t work out — I think the right move was probably to go ahead and let him pitch to him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Royals at Yankee Stadium.
“I just I just decided when I got back to the bench….it was a little bit of unique situation, obviously, with (Salvador) Perez going out of the game, I didn’t want to see (Santana) let him beat us in that spot, or, get too careful with pitching around and lead to a wild pitch or something.”
Boone said that he met with the closer after the game and they talked it out. Chapman was not made available to the media after Wednesday night’s game and was not on the field with other relievers before Thursday’s game to talk to reporters.
Boone said that he went to the mound and talked about different approaches to Santana. It was a noticeably extended meeting at the mound.
“All right, we’re gonna go after him, but pitch carefully,” Boone said was the decision on the mound, but, “when I got back to the bench and just kind of looked out there, I just felt like, that’s why there was a little bit of a pause. I just felt like I didn’t want to. I wanted to take our shot the other way. And so ultimately, it was my call at that moment. And I think that led to some of the frustration.
“But Chappie and I absolutely talked about it and are good.”
Hanging over Boone’s decision and Chapman’s frustration is that the Yankees closer, who was just devastating in his first 23 appearances this season, has not been sharp over the last two weeks. He allowed one earned run in his first 23 innings pitched, striking out 43 and walking 11. In his last 5 1/3 innings pitched, he has given up seven earned runs, walked five and struck out six.
Boone said he did not have an issue with Chapman showing frustration at his decision and felt that his anger showed how much he cares.
“The frustration boils over, we’re playing for a lot these guys care. And you’re gonna sometimes get upset and that’s part of playing a high stakes game of Major League Baseball,” Boone said. “And I’m good with that.”
