Yankees' Aaron Boone Backs Bullpen After 9-Run Inning vs. Tigers, 'We Have the Guys'

After another bullpen meltdown in Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone remains confident in his relievers being able to get the job done in key situations.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Boone explained "we have the guys" to be effective and it just didn't work out in this instance.

"We have the guys down there to get it done," Boone said. "We just got to sync it up. Tonight's a tough night, but it doesn't change a lot of the good things that have happened in some of these games we've been able to close out."

The score was tied 2-2 entering the seventh inning when Fernando Cruz came in to relieve Will Warren. All five hitters he faced reached base (two hits, three walks), prompting Boone to replace him with Mark Leiter Jr.

Leiter allowed all four hitters he faced to reach base, capped off by Kerry Carpenter's triple with the bases loaded that put the Tigers up 10-2.

As bad as that inning was, it did involve two relievers who are unlikely to be big factors in October if the Yankees make the playoffs. Cruz has always been an enigma because he posts huge strikeout numbers (293 in 188 career innings), but he has a 4.36 career ERA. Leiter has a 5.15 ERA in 43.2 innings this season.

However, the bullpen has been a frequent source of problems in the Bronx. The Yankees have the 11th-worst bullpen ERA in MLB (4.27). The Philadelphia Phillies are the only other team currently in the playoff field with a worse ERA from their relievers.

Closer Devin Williams has a 7.98 ERA in his last 16 appearances. Tim Hill, David Bednar and Luke Weaver are the most reliable options out of the 'pen that Boone has to choose from.

Looking ahead to the postseason, teams shrink the number of relievers they use because every game is high leverage. Yankees fans should expect to see a lot of Hill, Bednar and Weaver in those situations assuming they make the playoffs.