ATLANTA — After the Yankees limped the All-Star break riding a month-long slump that has them in second place, manager Aaron Boone’s first comments before the first game of the second half were filled with the usual optimism.

There was talk about the Yankees having an “opportunity to do something special” and being “in a position to make that run.”

Boone finished his thought with this:

“Hopefully we can go out and the rest of the way play our best baseball and really come together as a team some more, and that starts now.”

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Nope.

Not Friday night.

Instead of the Yankees actually using a starting pitcher for the first of three this weekend against the Braves, Boone went with an opener and then a

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