Aaron Boone sticks up for Yankees pitchers with bloated spring ERAs

TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Boone managed the Yankees ’ split-squad game in Tampa on Thursday, the one Opening Day starter Max Fried faced the Orioles in his final tuneup, so the skipper only heard what the Blue Jays did to left-hander Ryan Weathers over in Dunedin. Here’s what he missed: • Daulton Varsho clubbed a one-out, lefty vs.

lefty homer in the Blue Jays first. • Weathers struck out the side in a 1-2-3 second. • Three two-out hits in the Toronto third made it 2-0, the last an RBI knock by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

• The Blue Jays’ fourth started with an infield hit and single to left, a one-out walk loaded the bases and then George Springer cleared them with a grand slam. That was it for Weathers, and the Blue Jays went on to skunk the Yankees 11-zip. “I heard (Toronto) got some runs,” Boone said after the Yankees scored two in the ninth to beat the O’s 5-4 in their other game.

“Very early in the dugout, I heard like a lot of balls finding holes. I have not dug into the outing much, but heard it was OK. ” Two homers and seven runs in three-plus innings doesn’t seem OK, not when this made it three bad starts in a row, not when Weathers’ Grapefruit League ERA is 11.