Toronto – The Yankees have finally figured out where to utilize Will Warren.
But things didn’t quite go as planned.
With Max Fried down by five runs and struggling against two Blue Jays, Aaron Boone decided to call on Warren, opting for him over a more seasoned reliever. Unfortunately, this choice backfired when Warren allowed a grand slam by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., leading to a massive six-run inning that sealed the Yankees’ fate in a 13-7 defeat during Game 2 of the Division Series.
“This was his chance to step up and keep us in the game,” Boone stated. “We had to take a chance with Will. There were already five runs on the board, plus the runners on base. He’s here for situations like this, especially backing up one of our left-handers. Clearly, it didn’t pan out. We expected him to give us some length, to save the bullpen a bit, but you can’t leave him like that – it’s just not working.”
Fernando Cruz was the first reliever to warm up as the Blue Jays quickly built a 5-0 lead in just three innings.
Then, in the fourth, after Fried allowed a walk and a hit, Warren entered to face the top of the lineup.
He ended up walking George Springer, which loaded the bases, then hit Davis Schneider, before giving up the critical home run to Guerrero.
This was Warren’s first appearance since September 26, resulting in four innings of cleanup work on 84 pitches, yet he surrendered six runs along with four home runs.
“I thought I tried my best to approach it like a start,” Warren remarked. “I prepped the same way, but… they got to me. I hoped I could come in and turn this around.”
Warren, at the very least, took a significant load off the other bullpen arms, save for Luke Weaver, who came in during the eighth. The Yankees will need their full crew ready for the pivotal Game 3 on Tuesday.
