Michael Kay Scathes Yankees, Aaron Boone in Fiery Rant After Loss to Twins
The New York Yankees endured a rough outing on Wednesday night, falling 4–1 to the Minnesota Twins in a game that has ignited a blistering response from longtime Yankees announcer Michael Kay. The defeat—and Boone’s controversial bullpen decisions—have pushed the team’s frustrations into the open.
Yankees fans awoke Thursday to Kay launching into a scathing tirade on his ESPN New York show. His ire focused squarely on Aaron Boone’s perplexing choice to bring in reliever Yerry De Los Santos in the sixth inning of a tie game. De Los Santos failed to record an out and surrendered three runs, turning a closely contested clash into a loss that felt almost scripted. “I don’t know why they went to De Los Santos,” Kay fumed. “Every single pitcher in the bullpen was available last night—who’s your best? Who’s your best to pitch the sixth inning?”
It was a rare moment of public dissent from Kay, who until now has often been seen as a staunch defender of Boone. But afterward, even he appeared shaken. The Yankees had enjoyed a long stretch of dominance over the Twins—their nine-game winning streak dating back to April 2023 was just snapped. Now, Boone’s choices are under the microscope, and Kay didn’t mince words in calling out what he perceived as a lack of urgency from the team.
“As a lifelong Yankees fan,” Kay added, the team’s season “is slipping away… You’re tied in the loss column with the Cleveland Guardians… and the Texas Rangers are breathing down your neck.” With the trade deadline lingering and playoff hopes hanging by a thread, this may mark a turning point in the growing chorus of criticism facing Boone.
Behind the scenes, the question now lingers: Is this moment simply one of misfortune, or a signal that Boone’s in-game strategy has run out of goodwill—or patience—to defend?
