Weaver Relief Blows Yankees' 3-1 Wild Card Loss

The Yankees lost Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series 3-1 after manager Aaron Boone removed starter Max Fried in the seventh and turned to reliever Luke Weaver, who allowed a walk, a double and Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single that flipped the game. Boone defended the decision, saying Fried's command had dipped and he wanted to manage Fried's workload, while Fried said he felt he had more left and broadcasters and pundits publicly questioned the timing. New York's bullpen — including Weaver and David Bednar — faltered again, extending a season-long weakness and leaving the Yankees on the brink of elimination. Boone also sat hot-hitting first baseman Ben Rice against lefty Garrett Crochet and instead started Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells as part of a right-handed, matchup-focused lineup. Reports differ on when Rice will be reinserted (some outlets say Game 2, others Game 3), underscoring debate over Boone’s October strategy.