Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Yankees Manager Aaron Boone After ALDS Loss

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Stephen A. Smith, NBA analyst for ESPN, looks on before the Boston Celtics play the New York Knicks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 16, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees fell into an 0-2 hole Monday night after losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS.

New York sent ace Cam Schlittler to the mound, and while he didn’t have his best stuff, the defense behind him didn’t help him one bit.

The Yankees committed three errors in the first inning and four total for the game as they lost 5-2, with both of their runs coming on solo home runs by Ben Rice. As a team, they recorded just four hits, following a one-hit performance in Game 1 that resulted in a 1-0 loss.

Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Aaron Boone

Now, with the Yankees’ backs against the wall and one loss away from elimination, conversations are beginning about what manager Aaron Boone’s future looks like in the Bronx.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made it very clear that he’s out on Boone after supporting him since he was hired back in 2017 by New York.

“This is a disgrace. I’m looking at Aaron Boone now. I’ve been a supporter of Aaron Boone for years. I can’t support him any longer. You can’t have a team out there looking like the bad news bears,” Smith said. “It’s bad enough that only Ben Rice is hitting the damn ball… but you can’t have a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball looking like this. This is disgraceful.

“It ain’t one person, it ain’t two people, it ain’t three people, five different people made errors… I couldn’t believe it.”

“This is a disgrace.”

—@stephenasmith on his New York Yankees being one game from elimination 😳 https://t.co/MoCSTFPk8d

— First Take (@FirstTake) October 6, 2026

Looking at the Yankees

The ALDS will now shift to New York, where the Yankees will play Game 3 on Wednesday in the Bronx and potentially Game 4 if they can win tomorrow and extend the series.

If they lose one more game, though, the series will conclude, and the Rays will advance to the ALCS, where they’ll face the winner of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians series. The White Sox currently lead that series 2-0.

New York is expected to send left-hander Max Fried to the mound for Game 3, while left-hander Carlos Rodón would start a potential Game 4.