NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone's in-game pitching decisions were under the microscope yet again after he pulled starter Max Fried amid 6⅓ scoreless innings Tuesday night, as New York's bullpen faltered in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series.

Boone said he actually planned to lift Fried after the sixth inning, but Fried inducing a double play and sitting on 99 pitches prompted him to reconsider and let his ace lefty get one more out in the seventh.

Fried did that, and then Boone went to his bullpen. Luke Weaver walked the first batter he faced, and then allowed a double and Masataka Yoshida's pinch-hit two-run single. David Bednar gave up back-to-back hits in the ninth to give Boston some breathing room.

Boone defended his decision on

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