Yankees lose 2-1 as Boone keeps Cole in, Muncy hits homer

A pivotal managerial decision in the seventh inning proved costly for the New York Yankees, who fell 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on Friday, July 17, 2026. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged he erred by leaving ace Gerrit Cole in the game after a leadoff walk, a choice that allowed Dodgers slugger Max Muncy to hit a decisive two-run home run.

Cole had dominated through six innings, holding a potent Dodgers lineup scoreless on three hits while striking out eight. The Yankees held a 1-0 lead on an unearned run scored in the fourth inning when Jasson Domínguez came home on a passed ball. The game turned in the top of the seventh when Cole walked Mookie Betts, the first Dodgers baserunner since the third inning. Boone visited the mound with left-handed reliever Brent Headrick warmed up and ready, but after a brief conversation, he allowed Cole to remain in to face the left-handed Muncy.

Cole quickly got ahead in the count 0-2. Muncy fouled off several pitches, and a borderline 1-2 slider was called a ball. On Cole’s 103rd and final pitch, a hanging slider over the middle of the plate, Muncy launched a 416-foot home run into the right-field second deck,...