Boone also opted against benching Austin Wells when he cost the Yankees an out in a recent game by forgetting the outs. He didn’t bench rookie Jorbit Vivas for not sliding into third base when he was out tagging up from second on a long flyball in Atlanta right after the All-Star break.

Sudden second-half swoons have been a hallmark of the New York Yankees' Aaron Boone era, so it shouldn't be news that one is happening right now.

Instead, the eighth-year manager, who almost always tries to display the even-keeled nature he wants his team to emulate, has had a shift in tone with more urgency in recent days as this two-month stretch of sub-.500 play by the Yankees grows deeper and the number of remaining games grows smaller.