Yankees' Boone Explains Having Jazz Chisholm Jr. Steal Bases, Accepts Red Sox Broadcaster's Apology

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed it was his decision to have Jazz Chisholm Jr. steal bases late in a six-run game last weekend, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

Boone's comments came after Red Sox radio broadcaster Will Flemming called Chisholm a "bush league" player for stealing second and third base in the eighth inning of Sunday's 16-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

ESPN's Michael Kay reported after the game Boone had confirmed over a phone call he told Chisholm to run.

"It was important to know that this came from me," Boone said, per Joyce. "I was not planning on running with that lead, had they played it straight. I was pretty animated and vocal with their dugout, just as far as, if they weren't going to play it straight, I wasn't just going to sit back. Absolutely not. I don't think they were going to not take their at-bats in the ninth inning.

"So I kind of object to some people saying, 'Well, that's waving the white flag.' So they weren't going to try to score in the ninth?"

Boone added he felt the Yankees had "done the right thing" and that he accepting Flemming's apology, according to Joyce.

Flemming expressed regret about his comments in a Monday post on social media.

Chisholm was among the multiple Yankees players who called Flemming out for his comments after the game.

Both Chisholm and Boone pushed back against the idea there were "unwritten rules" the Yankees had violated by stealing bases with a significant lead.

Boone said he respected "some" of these rules but felt they had "evolved," according to Joyce.

Chisholm initially got on base in the eighth by working a leadoff walk in five pitches from Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán.

Kay originally reported Boone had said he would not have told Chisholm to run had the Red Sox held him at second base after the walk.

When he saw the Red Sox were not making an effort to stay close to Chisholm, Boone said he decided they were "playing real baseball" despite the six-run lead, according to Kay.

"They didn't hold me on, so I told Jazz to steal second," Kay said when recounting Boone's explanation. "And then, when he's on second, they're not even checking him. I said, 'You steal third'... If it was so important that you hold him on, why'd you bring the infield in when he's at third base?"

Chisholm was sent home on what turned out to be the first of two home runs from Austin Wells during a nine-run eighth inning.

The victory was an important one for the Yankees, which are heading into Tuesday with a three-game lead over the Red Sox for the top spot in the AL Wild Card race.

Should both clubs finish the season with the same record, the first tiebreaker would be their head-to-head record. Sunday's win allowed the Yankees to finish out the season series against the Red Sox with a 7-6 record.