Aaron Boone faces the first signs of trouble from the Yankees

It’s never as easy as it looks, even if you lose your 11th and 12th games of the season less than a week before Memorial Day Weekend. The Yankees rolled over all the comers, a different hero every day, a new storyline in every game. You get a run like the Yankees did last month, it’s hard to conjure up pitfalls, pratfalls or potholes.

But they are out there, lurking.

Always out there. Always lurking.

The Yankees lost a pair to the White Sox Sunday, 3-1 and 5-0, and that in itself was amazing considering the season had been an uninterrupted string of highlights up to that point. It was only the second series the Yankees lost all season, and they had great starting serves at both ends, from Jameson Taillon (seven innings, five hits, one run) and Luis Severino (seven innings, eight hits, none). runs).

“You’re going to get some days like this,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The day began with Boone doing his best to limit the damage of a potential Spitstorm and ended with dealing with the onset of another.

A day after Josh Donaldson caused quite a stir by either playfully quoting Jackie Robinson (his version) or disrespectfully (almost everyone else) while addressing White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, Boone used his usual thoughtfulness and perspective, To try to make things right, or as right as they can be.

“I understand that Josh was very accommodating with the story and context,” Boone said early Sunday afternoon. “I don’t think there was any malicious intent in that regard. This is just a place I don’t think he should go.”

He added: “I certainly understand that this is sensitive and you need to read the space with that in mind.”

Over at the other clubhouse, where hard feelings lingered, Sox closer Liam Hendriks — who, like Anderson, has had trouble with Donaldson in the past — called the Yankees’ third baseman’s explanation “cops” and called him “delusional,” among other things. courtesies.

But the only clubhouse Boone has to worry about is his own. He made it clear that there’s no problem, but that has to be his primary concern now, to make sure the African-American players in this room are just as willing to mulligan Donaldson as he is. Only time will tell.

Equally worrying is the status of his open-plan office. Everyone around the Yankees has already come to terms with the reality that year-round Chad Green is headed for Tommy John surgery.

Then Aroldis Chapman gave up the go-ahead home run for AJ Pollock, who headed the ninth inning of the opener, was completely ineffective on a 16-pitch outing and may or may not have an Achilles problem now. And then Jonathan Loaisiga in game two, giving up just 17 total earned runs for all of 2021, allowed numbers 10, 11, 12 and 13 for 2022 when that game exploded on him in the eighth.

Boone thinks Loaisiga is getting close to where he needs to be. Chapman?

“He wanted the ball,” Boone said of Chapman.

But how much longer can Boone give Chapman the ball? It’s been a thoroughly miserable time in New York for Chapman, who has enjoyed long stretches of dominance in which he looks like the world’s most unbeatable pitcher, but also suffers from some prolonged slumps each season that are as puzzling as they are are damaging.

Yankees fans have never been particularly patient with Chapman. They will be less so now – even if Chapman has yet to make a save despite suffering defeat on Sunday – thanks to the emergence of Clay Holmes.

Holmes, who capped Saturday’s 7-5 win, is on a streak of 21 straight innings and he was electric. Boone said of Holmes, “He was special, probably as good a helper as he was in the league I think up to that point. I can’t imagine anyone better.”

Chapman’s heel may buy Boone some time, but it’s a bill he’ll have to face sooner or later. After all, it’s never as easy as it looks, no matter how many wins you accumulate, no matter how hot you were. The baseball season always finds you and eventually challenges you.

Aaron Boone already knew that, of course. Just think of Sunday as a friendly reminder.