A high-stakes managerial decision went unmade for the Red Sox as their skipper missed Saturday night’s game, leaving the call on whether to remove a key player in the lineup out of his hands. The absence of the team’s leader could have altered the course of the matchup, particularly for a player whose performance might have been under scrutiny. With no substitute on hand to make the call, the outcome hinged on factors beyond the usual tactical choices. Fans and analysts will likely debate how the game might have unfolded with the manager’s usual bench-management strategy in play.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy was not around Saturday night to prematurely pull Drew Rasmussen.
